Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Thursday directed Muzaffargarh’s 10,000 acres trust land’s management committee to resolve all issues pertaining to land and submit its report within a month. The court also directed the Anti-Corruption Court of Muzaffargarh to decide the case of embezzlement allegedly committed by land’s superintendent within six months.

The issues which are to be addressed by the trust land management committee include demarcation, illegal occupations, recovery of rent from the buildings erected on the land, utilisation of income from the land and enhancements of income. In 1894, Sardar Kaura Khan of Muzaffargarh dedicated his land of 10,000 acres, consisting of four tehseels including Jatoi, Alipur, Jampur and Rajapur, for welfare of the residents. Subsequently the land was transferred to district government.

The matter was taken up in 2013 after a complaint was filed by Muzaffar Khan Magsi in Human Right Cell of Supreme Court. The top court that time asked the Punjab government regarding the administration and management of the said land. It was revealed that there were no rules and regulations available to manage huge acres of land dedicated for the welfare of land. However a superintendent was appointment to look after the land but he allegedly committed corruption of more than 500 million rupees.

Under the court’s guidelines, Sardar Kaura Khan Management, Supervision and protection of Land Rules 2016 were framed. The top court also appointed a Commission comprising District Officer Coordination (DOC) Shahzad Ahmed Magzi and directed it to submit a report after physical inspection regarding land’s nature, its character, income, suggestion to enhance the income and recommendation of utilisation of income of trust.

The Commission then recommended that 10,000 acres land was comprised of four kinds including fertiliser land, land on which the river was flowing, barren land and the land under illegal occupations. The commission report stated that the trust land which falls in urban area is marred with different departments including judiciary, local government, health and education department, sports complex, stadium and multiple commercial buildings are erected on the trust land. A two judge bench headed by Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan while hearing the matter expressed displeasure over the performance of provincial government in the matter. They asked how the occupation of a judicial building could be justified.

However, DOC Shahzad informed the bench that a district judge was once served a notice for payment of rent but the judge responded through a show cause notice asking why the official should not be arrested. The DOC however expressed his inability to recover land from illegal occupants. Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed, another member of the bench, observed that the report as well as the inability to arrest the officer was evidence of the incompetence of the government.

Additional Advocate General Razzaq Mirza drew the attention of the bench towards the framed rules. However, the top court adjourned the hearing of case until January 5 2017.