MUZAFFABAD (Kashmir English): The Lahore High Court on Monday dismissed former Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) minister Mushtaq Minhas’s petition against the Punjab Housing and Town Planning Agency’s anti-encroachment drive in Media Town, ruling that he had illegally occupied two additional plots.
The LHC Rawalpindi bench dismissed a petition filed by former Azad Kashmir minister Mushtaq Minhas, who sought to halt an anti-encroachment operation against plots he had allegedly occupied illegally.
Justice Jawad Hassan, after a preliminary hearing, ruled that since the petitioner was found to have encroached on private land, he was not entitled to any interim relief. The judge cited superior court rulings, stating that legal precedent did not support his claim.
The Punjab Housing and Town Planning Agency (PHATA) issued a notice to Minhas concerning the removal of encroachments on plots in Media Town. According to PHATA’s findings, while Minhas legally owned three plots of 10 marlas each, an inspection revealed he had five plots, meaning he had unlawfully occupied two more plots.
PHATA’s notice directed him to “voluntarily remove the previous encroachments,” warning that negligence to comply would result in a full-scale operation involving law enforcement agencies. The Rawalpindi Press Club Cooperative Housing Society, the Punjab Journalists Housing Foundation, and the Cooperative Department were instructed to fully cooperate with PHATA in the process. Additionally, Minhas was warned that he would be held responsible for any financial or material damages suffered during the removal process.
Challenging the notice, Minhas’s attorney, Taufique Asif, argued that it was unlawful and had been issued without allowing his client to be listened to, as required under Sections 32 and 33 of the Punjab Housing and Town Planning Agency Ordinance 2002. He claimed that PHATA’s actions transgressed legal provisions and due process.
However, Assistant Advocate General Punjab, Abid Aziz Rajori, defended PHATA’s move, stating that the notice was issued in obedience to previous court rulings, which had directed authorities to clear encroachments and restore the plots to their rightful owners.
Justice Hassan, after hearing arguments from both sides, kept PHATA’s notice, ruling that it aligned with judicial directives and that no interference was certified under the principle of judicial estoppel.
The case comes amid a broader anti-encroachment drive across Punjab, initiated under the directives of the chief minister.
He maintained that permanent peace in South Asia cannot happen until UN resolutions together with the Kashmiri people’s aspirations guide a solution to the Kashmir dispute. Through his address, the speaker urged all international entities to act as witnesses for Kashmiri’s suffering while joining forces to establish peace and stability in the area.
