LAHORE - A Lahore High Court (LHC) division bench on Monday suspended a single bench order that struck down a decision of the interim government to hand over 45,000 acres of land in three districts of Punjab to Pakistan Army on a 20-year lease.
The division bench, headed by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi, passed the orders while hearing an intra-court appeal, filed by the Punjab government against the single bench decision. The court also issued notices to the respondents on the appeal and sought a reply.
The interim government, through the appeal, had pleaded with the court to set aside the single bench order. The government submitted that the project was initiated by the previous elected government and not by the interim government. As per law, the interim government was empowered to implement or finalise any pending decision and policy of the previous government, it added. The government further contended that the court was not empowered to regulate agricultural policies.
It submitted that the order of the single bench was not only in violation of the law but also had contradictions in it.