Daily Times

The Supreme Court on Thursday concluded a suo motu notice taken by former chief justice Mian Saqib Nisar against the Khokhar brothers – PML-N MNA Afzal Khokhar and MPA Saiful Malook Khokhar – and ordered the authorities concerned to remove their names from the exit control list (ECL).

A three-member bench, comprising Justice Manzoor Malik, Justice Sardar Tariq Masood and Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, issued the orders while hearing the case at the apex court’s Lahore registry.

The former chief justice had taken suo motu notice and issued orders to put the names of the two lawmakers on the ECL after a complaint was made against them by overseas Pakistanis who had accused the two of illegally occupying their land.

Justice Manzoor Malik in his remarks said the bench does not have material information about the circumstances in which the suo motu action was taken. “Those blessed with authority by God should use it with caution,” he remarked.

Justice Mansoor Ali Shah said that the court can’t go beyond its limitations. “All institutions should function in their own sphere,” he added.

Those blessed with authority by God should use it with caution: Justice Manzoor

Justice Malik told Amina Imran Khan, the director general of the Lahore Development Authority, to desist from using the court to get the case referred to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). “Do your own work and let the apex court discharge its duty,” he remarked.

The court asked if the LDA and the Member Board of Revenue Tariq Najeeb, who was present in the court, had taken any action against the accused before the suo motu notice. The revenue official replied that they had compiled reports that held Khokhar guilty. “Then take action as per the law,” Justice Malik responded, and added that judges aren’t prosecutors, neither can they investigate.

The apex court also directed the conclusion of cases against the Khokhar brothers in the Anti-Corruption Establishment as per law.

The LDA DG said that anti-corruption officials were harassing her. “You have the law, take the legal course, don’t include us,” Justice Shah responded.

On December 28, 2018, the SC had ordered the ACE to complete its investigation against the Khokhar brothers and register a case against all those revenue department officials who were involved in allowing consolidation of the disputed land.

According to the ACE report submitted in court on Jan 6, 2019, the Khokhars had occupied 40 kanals of state land and paid only one of the 10 people from whom they had purchased the land. The report added that Khokhar Palace was then built on joint lands forcibly taken from various people.

The then chief justice had warned that the court would do away with the Khokhars’ joint lands. “Empty Khokhar palace and pack up your things,” he had thundered. “I will not let such thuggish behaviour take place in Pakistan.”

The former chief justice had suggested that an educational institute be set up in place of Khokhar Palace similar to that being introduced at the PM House in Islamabad. He had observed that the Khokhar brothers appeared to exert an extraordinary amount of control in the area.

Published in Daily Times, March 15^th 2019.