LAHORE, Feb 15: The Lahore High Court on Tuesday served a contempt of court notice on the chief settlement commissioner for repeatedly disobeying an order for the allotment of alternative land.

The notice was issued on a contempt petition moved by Khwaja Nazir Ahmad of Lahore who submitted that the commissioner had ignored a high court order under which he was directed to either allot him alternative land or arrange payment of compensation at the market price.

According to the petitioner, the Punjab government had acquired his land for a welfare scheme and had directed the commissioner to allot him alternative land. On delay, he moved the high court which ordered the chief settlement commissioner to either allot him alternative land or pay compensation.

In another case, the court issued bailable warrants for arrest of the EDO (revenue) of Jhelum, formerly EDO Gujranwala, who repeatedly ignored the high court orders for allotment of alternative land to petitioner Malik Abdul Aziz of Gujranwala. The petitioner's land was also acquired by the Punjab government and he approached the LHC for allotment of an alternate land.