The Lahore High Court (LHC), Chief Justice, Khawaja Muhammad Sharif here on Monday took suo motu action against alleged illegal land acquisition for widening a road in Multan on an application submitted to him during his visit to District Bar Association Multan.
The Chief Justice summoned Commissioner and District Co-ordination Officer (DCO) Multan for January 6 and asked Acting Advocate General Punjab to appear before the court and assist in the matter. The application said that land was being acquired for widening/improvement of the road from Kalma Chowk to Tariq Road (Old Bahawalpur road), Multan.
In this respect the land acquisition collector, provincial high way department, Multan, has issued notification for including equal area from the roadsides. The applicants alleged that the Commissioner, Multan, was bent upon acquiring 60 to 87 feet land from left side of the road leading from Kalma Chowk to Tariq Road just to save Sind Bad hotel situated on the right side of the road, which was allegedly owned by one of his close relative namely Makhdoom Ahmad Nawaz Girdezi.
It further stated that if the widening of road was inevitable, the land for this purpose should be acquired in equal proportion from both sides and none should be burdened extraordinary to benefit the dear ones of the man in authority.