Islamabad, May 4 (TNS): In a landmark decision, the apex Court striped land tycoon from selling or allotting land in the Bahria Town Karachi project.
The verdict came on Friday after Supreme Court declared the allotment of land provided by the Sindh government to Bahria Town and a controversial land swap between the Malir Development Authority (MDA) and the tycoon company as illegal.
The bench of the top court, in a 2-1 verdict, also ordered NAB, anti-graft watchdog, to file references against those responsible for law violations and decide the case within timeframe of 3 months.
“Having thus considered, we are constrained to declare that the grant of the land to the MDA, its exchange with the land of Bahria Town and anything done pursuant thereto being against the provisions of COGLA 1912 [Colonization of Government Lands Act, 1912] and statement of conditions are void ab initio and as such have no existence,” the court ruled.
“The government land would go back to the government and the land of Bahria Town exchanged for the government land would go back to Bahria Town,” the court ordered.
The top court also considered the interests of those people who have already purchase land from Bahria Town.
“Since a great deal of work has been done by the Bahria Town and a third-party interest has been created in favour of hundreds of allotees, the land could be granted to the Bahria Town afresh by the Board of Revenue under the provisions of COGLA 1912.”
