LHC halts implementation of Punjab government order to hand over 45,000 acres of land to military
The Lahore High Court (LHC) has ruled that the transitional government of Punjab will hand over at least 45,267 acres of land in his three districts of the state (Bakkar, Kushab and Sahiwal) to the Pakistan Army for the purpose of 'corporate farming'. stopped it. Friday.
On Thursday, Judge Abid Hussain Chattha handed down a two-page judgment on a petition filed by Ahmad Rafay Alam on behalf of the Pakistan Public Interest Law Association on March 28.
About two weeks ago, the Punjab government signed an agreement to hand over the country to the military, citing a February 20, 2023 notice and his March 8 joint venture agreement.
According to the ruling, the LHC has barred the Punjab Provincial Government from renewing "leaseholds on state land" for the above purposes, according to a government notice.
Noting that the issues raised by the complainant "need to be considered," the LHC sent a notice to the respondents by May 9, asking them to submit their responses by then.
It also sent notices to the Attorney-General for Pakistan and Punjab Advocate General Shan Gul.
The petition
The petition filed by Alam had named Punjab Governor Muhammad Balighur Rehman, the Punjab Board of Revenue, the Punjab agriculture secretary, the Punjab forest, wildlife and fisheries secretary, the Punjab irrigation secretary and the Punjab livestock & dairy development secretary among the respondents.
It had asked that the LHC declare the caretaker government “cannot take major policy decisions” and also declare the Feb 20 notification as “illegal, null and void
Citing a letter dated March 10 that was issued to the Punjab Board of Revenue, it had further asked that the “handing over of any and all properties/land by and between the respondents” be declared “illegal, null and void” as well.
It had argued that the transfer of land was unlawful because Punjab Governor Muhammad Balighur Rehman “is not vested with any power to sanction the said notification”, the LHC verdict recalled.
The verdict stated the petitioner — citing Section 230 (functions of caretaker government) of the Election Act 2017 — had said the “mandate and scope of the caretaker government is limited to perform day-to-day functions of the government and is specifically barred to take policy decisions of permanent nature”. The petition also argued that the constitutional mandate limits the military to performing foreign and domestic security functions, falling short of its intended purpose, "corporate farming," according to government notices.
Agreement
The agreement was signed between the military, the Punjab government and private companies engaged in local agriculture, according to sources.
According to the document, the Army Land Directorate has decreed that his 42,724 acres of land in Tesirzkarurkot and Mankhela in Bakkar in 1,818 was approved by the Commissioner, the Board of Revenue and the Department of Agriculture, Forestry, Animal Husbandry and Irrigation of Punjab. I wrote a letter to the secretary of Surrender on 725 acres of Tesir Qaydabad in Acres, Kushab and Tesir Chichawatni in Kushab, Sahiwal.
Regarding the salient features of the proposed project, sources said the land would be made available to the Punjab government while the military would use its resources to maintain control of the project.
The private sector, on the other hand, should provide investment and assistance, including the supply of fertilizers. A military source confirmed the deployment, saying the military "does not own the land as it remains the property" of the Punjab government.
They further stated that the military is mostly sterile, uncultured, and converts uncultured people Land on fertile land.
At least 40% of the proceeds from cultivation should be donated to the Punjab government, 20% should be spent on cutting-edge research and development in the agricultural sector, and the rest should be used for subsequent harvesting and expansion of the project.
According to sources, the first phase of the project will involve growing different types of legumes, millet and rice. This is followed by large-scale cultivation of rapeseed and wheat.
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