Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan has directed the district administration to stop further demolition of Khokhar Palace, the residence of PML-N leader Saif Ul Malook Khokhar, and directed both the parties to seek redressal from the civil court.
The Chief Justice also suspended the Lahore Deputy Commissioner’s directive to bulldoze the palace but barred the Khokhar brothers from reconstructing the demolished property until a civil court decision.
The province’s top judge issued the verdict after hearing a plea filed by Khokhar brothers – MPA Malik Saiful Malook and MNA Malik Muhammad Afzal Khokhar – both belonging to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
The petitioners had challenged the demolition despite an interim stay order granted by the civil court.
The court suspended the action taken on Lahore deputy commissioner’s January 18 order, cancelling the lease of land on which the demolitions were carried out.
Earlier, the petitioners through their counsel implored that the civil court had granted them stay but the government still demolished the property against the norms of the law. They contended that they are the lawful owners of the land measuring 177 kanals and six marlas.
They said that all the purchased property is through registered deeds that have not been challenged so far, and are still legally intact. The property, they added, is with specific khasra numbers showing full specifications of the property.
