LAHORE, May 5: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday ordered the Lahore Develop-ment Authority to allot a residential plot to the widow of poet Habib Jalib. Chief Justice Iftikhar Husain Chaudhry observed that Mumtaz Begum was allotted the plot in recognition of the services rendered by the her poet husband.

The widow of Habib Jalib was allotted a residential plot, measuring one kanal, at Mustafabad in 1994. She paid the entire price and development charges about seven years ago but the LDA had refused to give possession of the plot to her despite several reminders and contacts with officials concerned.

The LDA contended that the plot was allotted by the then chief minister, Mian Manzoor Wattoo, who was subsequently convicted on the charges of making such allotments by misusing his official authority.

The former chief minister had, during the hearing of the appeal against his conviction, submitted that he made no such allotments. The LDA submitted that its record had no mention that the plot was allotted to Mumtaz Begum.

The Lahore High Court had in 1998 dismissed the petition of Mumtaz Begum. She again approached the court with the plea that the LDA officials were denying her the possession of the plot without a valid reason. Her counsel Azam Nazir Tarar submitted that quotas for widows had not been dispensed with and the LDA was confusing the issue.