The Supreme Court has imposed a fine of Rs1 million as damages on the Punjab government for building a road on a piece of land without paying the owner any compensation.
Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa expressed anger at Punjab Additional Advocate General Balighuz Zaman for arguing a futile case. He questioned how the government built a road on someone's land without permission or compensation.
The petitioner did not gift the land to the government, nor did the government acquire the land according to the law, he remarked.
Addressing the additional advocate general, CJP Isa said why he filed such a frivolous case in the Supreme Court. Genuine cases are sidelined, and frivolous and false cases filed.
“Public resources as well as court time are being wasted by filing frivolous cases,” the CJP remarked.
The Punjab government had built a road in Gujranwala in 2007 on the land of a citizen named Liaquat Ali. The Appellate Court and the high court had ruled in favour of the landlord and the Supreme Court upheld.
Rejecting the appeal of the Punjab government, the apex court ordered the government to pay the landowner compensation amount according to the current rate.
