Lahore High Court fumes over land grabbing by police

Lahore High Court Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan on Wednesday grilled the police for starting grabbing land instead of arresting robbers, thieves and other criminals, reported 24NewsHD TV channel. “It has become a police state,” he remarked.

Hearing a case related to Evacuee Trust Property Board’s land, the chief justice observed that the police had unleashed a reign of terror. 

“You cannot secure roads; you cannot arrest offenders; you cannot even capture proclaimed offenders [but] the police officers are now grabbing plots,” he remarked added that they didn’t even spare the state land.

In what capacity the Evacuee Trust Property Board land was occupied,” the chief justice questioned, as Punjab IGP Inam Ghani also attended the hearing. “The police are now constructing their offices on people’s land.”

Ordering the Punjab IGP to register a case against the police officers responsible for the land grabbing, the chief justice remarked that the land in question belonged to the Evacuee Trust Property Board. 

“The federal government cannot distribute the trust property,” warned the chief justice who also wonder how an elite school occupied the state land.

During the course of the hearing, Chief Justice Qasim also expressed his annoyance over the cash prize announced for the police for arresting Abid Malhi, the main accused in the motorway gang-rape case.

“Isn’t a police job to capture the accused,” the chief justice questioned and asked how the prize could be fixed for the arrest.

The remarks came as Chief Minister Usman Buzdar had announced a five million rupees prize for the officers after the gang-rape accused was captured.

However, there is another twist to the story as his father has now stated that Abid was arrested as he had surrendered before the police.

According to his father, Abid presented himself for arrest after he asked him to do so as the family members had been facing constant harassment with several women in police custody.