The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday suspended its previous ruling which stopped the Punjab caretaker government from leasing land in three districts to the Pakistan Army for corporate farming on a 20-year lease. In March, the Punjab government had 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 had stopped the caretaker government from proceeding with its plan. The verdict was issued by Judge Abid Hussain Chattha on a petition filed by Ahmad Rafay Alam on behalf of Public Interest Law Association of Pakistan. In the detailed verdict, Judge Chattha had ruled that the caretaker government “lacks constitutional and legal mandate to take any decision regarding the CAF initiative and policy in any manner whatsoever, in terms of Section 230 of the Elections Act 2017.”

 In April, the caretaker Punjab government had filed an appeal with the LHC challenging its stay order against handing over the land to the army. During Monday’s hearing, a two-member bench of the LHC, led by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi, took up the Punjab government’s plea seeking to set aside the court’s order. Punjab Advocate General Khalid Ishaq appeared on behalf of the provincial government in court today. In the plea, the caretaker Punjab government argued that there was a contradiction in the court’s verdict, asserting that regulating agricultural policies was beyond the court’s jurisdiction. The plea contended that the court’s earlier decision to stay the transfer of land was in violation of the law. According to the law, the caretaker government is authorised to implement or finalise any pending decision or policy from the previous government, it added. After reviewing the petition’s contents, the court decided to suspend its previous ruling on the matter.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-INP