LAHORE: A division bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday suspended an order of a single bench restraining the Punjab caretaker government from leasing land to the Pakistan Army for corporate farming on a 20-year-lease in three districts of Punjab.

Earlier, a law officer pleaded that there was a contradiction in the court’s verdict, asserting that regulating agricultural policies was beyond the court’s jurisdiction. He said the single bench’s decision to stay the land transfer violated the law.

The law officer said caretaker government is authorized to implement or finalize any pending decision or policy from the previous government.

Corporate farming: LHC stays handing over of land to army

He maintained that the complainants have no locus standi in the matter as they were not affected parties being Lahore-based lawyers. He, therefore, prayed the court to set aside the decision of the single bench.

The court, after hearing the law officer, suspended the order of the single bench restraining the caretaker government from leasing land to the military. In March, the Punjab government signed an agreement to hand over at least 45,267 acres in three districts- Bhakkar, Khushab, and Sahiwal- to the Pakistan Army for ‘Corporate Agriculture Farming (CAF)’.

However, the LHC stopped the caretaker government from proceeding with its plan.

The verdict was issued on a petition filed by Ahmad Rafay Alam on behalf of the Public Interest Law Association of Pakistan. The caretaker Punjab government had challenged the stay order and got relief.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023