LAHORE: Lahore High Court Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan on Monday disposed of as withdrawn three petitions against alleged illegal occupation of the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) on their lands they got on lease from the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB).

Advocate Asif Imran Awan, the counsel for the petitioners, told the court that his clients wanted to withdraw the petitions. He said the petitioners stated that the DHA had compensated them and they soon would file applications before the ETPB for the cancellation of their lease.

DHA’s counsel Altafur Rehman Khan and its director legal retired Col Naamdar were also present in the court.

The chief justice allowed the request and disposed of the petitions as withdrawn.

Petitioners Zeeshan Mehboob, Raheel Tufail and Zulfiqar Hussain had got different chunks of land allotted on three-year lease from the ETPB for cultivation purposes in mauzas Mota Singhwala, Lidhar and Dera Chahal near Bedian Road, Lahore. They alleged that the DHA had illegally occupied their land.

The ETPB had also told the court that the petitioners were the lawful owners of the land in-question.

At a previous hearing, Chief Justice Khan had lashed out at the DHA for grabbing lands of poor people.

Published in Dawn, June 1st, 2021