LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday disposed of a petition of the PML-N’s Khokhar brothers against the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) and directed a civil court to decide a pending matter relating to their residence, ‘Khokhar Palace,’ within a week.

MNA Malik Afzal Khokhar and MPA Malik Karamat Khokhar had approached the court against a demolition operation by the LDA against their residence.

Justice Sajid Mahmood Sethi on Monday had stayed the LDA operation till the decision of the petition.

On Tuesday, the Lahore DCO and officials of the LDA appeared before the LHC.

Advocate Ghulam Sarwar Nehang told the court that the petitioners had constructed their house in Johar Town after fulfilling all the legal requirements and the regulations of the LDA. He said an LDA team was bent upon demolishing the property despite a stay order issued by a civil court. He also pointed out that the petitioners stood cleared in an investigation ordered by the then chief justice of Pakistan and two FIRs registered against them had also been quashed.

Mr Nehang alleged that the petitioners were being targeted and victimised on political grounds as they belonged to the PML-N.

When asked about the process to demolish an illegal property, LDA counsel Amir Saeed Rawn told the court that a notice was served to an offender prior to any action.

Justice Sethi disposed of the petition and directed the civil court to decide the matter within seven days.

Published in Dawn, December 23rd, 2020