The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday sought a detailed report from Secretary Colonies about new encroachment in Miani Sahib Graveyard and directed him to come up on next date of hearing with a report regarding the demarcation of the graveyard land.
The judge also directed the secretary to explain as to why 14 shops adjacent to the graveyard wall were not leased out despite court order and submit his report till December 05 as informed by Miani Sahib Graveyard Committee (MSGC).
The judge issued these directions when MSGC complained that a park namely Aslam Hayat Park had been established after encroaching the land of the graveyard.
Meanwhile, a court appointed charted accountant company has informed the court on Thursday that three-year audit of MSGC's accounts has been completed. The court had ordered audit of accounts MSGC from 1958 to till date. The court was proceeding with a petition filed by a former member MSGC Syed Muhammad Shah, challenging the sale of a land of Miani Sahib Graveyard to the LDA.
The petitioner had also moved an application seeking court intervention to conduct audit of MSGC's accounts that had not been done since its formation in 1958. Shah pleaded that he had moved an application to the chairman MSGC that demarcation of land had been carried out and the land should be get mutated in the name of graveyard. But due to some hidden reasons the same was not done. The petitioner also requested the court to order for the audit of graveyard's accounts and direct the chairman MSGC to form committee.
The petitioner further sought directions to member colonies to visit graveyard and get illegal constructions removed from the land of the graveyard. He said a committee member told him that the LDA was trying to occupy a part of the graveyard. He said that according to a colonies department order issued on January 22, 2005, 3 kanals, 18 marlas and 275 square feet state land in Mozang was sold to the LDA at Rs 360,000 per marla for further allotment to 81 shopkeepers/affectees of Chowk Chauburji Wasa drain.