RAWALPINDI, Aug 2: The counsel for Bahria Town (BT) on Thursday offered compensation to people affected by Revenue Employees Cooperative Housing Society (RECHS) and warned to be ready for a long litigation battle, in case the compensation was rejected.

Zahid Hussain Bokhari, BT counsel while arguing the case regarding the merger of 2,882 kanals of RECHS with BT before the Lahore High Court (LHC) division bench in the Rawalpindi registry, comprising Justice Syed Najamul Hassan and Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmed Khan, offered three proposals of the said merger, for the redressal of greivances.

According to the proposals, BT offered the RECHS affected to get a developed plot in DHA phase-I extension or in overseas enclave at BT phase VIII in lieu of their lost plot.

He also offered the affected to get compensation of their land in accordance with the already settled formula.

He said that the affected could not retrieve their original plots as the DHA had established its offices and other infrastructure on the land of RECHS and in order to get rid of 8 years old litigation, they should accept BT’s offer.

He warned that in case the Revenue Employees Cooperative Housing Society affected would not accept the BT proposal, then they would spend at least four decades in the courts to get a decision for the retrieval of their land.

Counsel for the affected, Raja Muhammad Bashir, however, rejected the BT offer and informed the court that BT management had already made such offers in the past, when they acquired the land, after the allegedly unlawful merger.

He said BT after acquiring the RECHS land immediately sold it to the DHA in 2005.

Justice Hassan observed that the original plots of the affected could not be retrieved at the moment.

He asked whether the affected were interested in getting plots at alternate places or wanted the court to punish the BT management.

The court advised to consider BT’s proposals and adjourned the hearing till August 13.

It may be pertinent to mention that on June 21, LHC Justice Chaudhry Shahid Saeed had declared illegal the RECHS merger with BT and directed the latter to compensate people affected by the merger, within two months.

The court also directed anti-corruption establishment (ACE) to initiate action against those responsible. Although the LHC division bench on July 11, restrained the ACE to initiate proceedings till further orders.