CJP Qazi Faez Isa imposes Rs 1 million fine each on Punjab govt & a private petitioner for wasting time of court through frivolous litigation

ISLAMABAD, Nov 13 (SABAH): Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa has imposed fine of Rs 1 million each on the Punjab government and a private petitioner namely Syed Ghazanfar Ali Shah for wasting time of the court through frivolous litigation. Chief justice said that we will take serious notice of the frivolous litigation filed by the state, adding that we will not allow the people to work and Supreme Court should be closed and every ridiculous application will be filed. Chief justice said that will impose fine on the advocate general office and they will pay the fine its own pocket, adding that everyone should fulfill his own responsibility. Chief justice said that no bureaucrat is ready to work, adding that we are ending the frivolous litigation and if the government will do the same we will impose fine and if the government will withdraw such applications we will double the fine. Chief justice said that the resources of people should not be wasted, adding that the public resources are being wasted through filing ridiculous applications. Chief justice said that land of the poor people has been occupied, adding that we are sending laud and clear message against the might is right law that this process could not continue further.

The Supreme Court imposed a fine of Rs1 million as damages on the Punjab government for building a road on a piece of 9 marla land without paying the owner any compensation.

Three-member bench headed by CJP Qazi Faez Isa and comprising Justice Aminuddin Khan and Justice Athar Minallah heard the petition filed by Province of Punjab through the Deputy Commissioner/Collector
District Gujranwala & others v. Zulfiqar Ali & another. Additional Advocate General Punjab Balighuz Zaman appeared before the bench on behalf of Punjab government.

Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa expressed anger at Additional Advocate General Punjab 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 Zulfiqar 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 within 30 days.

On the other hand the bench heard a separate case filed by Syed Ghazanfar Ali Shah v. Hassan Bukhari and others over the property dispute in Jhelum. Ajmal Raza Bhatti Advocate appeared before the bench on behalf of the petitioner. The court imposed Rs 1 million fine on the petitioner which will be distributed among 112 respondents equally within 30 days. The court has also ordered the revenue officials to implement the order of the member board of revenue regarding the partition of the 4000 canal land. The bench has directed to send the copy of the order to senior member board of revenue Punjab and senior most revenue officer of the district for compliance. The court dismissed the petition filed against the order of the Lahore High Court.