LAHORE: Chief Secretary Akbar Durrani on Friday ordered finalisation of the modalities for implementing a Supreme Court decision regarding share of sale and lease of a disputed land between its claimants Pakistan Railways and Punjab government.

He was presiding over a meeting to review implementation of the Supreme Court judgment here at the Civil Secretariat. The apex court had, in a December 2011 ruling, fixed 50 per cent each share for Pakistan Railways and the Punjab government in the sale and lease of land whose ownership both of them had been claiming for long.

Addressing the meeting, the chief secretary said that without compromising interests of the province, implementation of the court’s decision would be ensured.

He said a monitoring committee at provincial level and implementation committees in districts would be set up. Initially, a pilot project would be started in one or two districts and later replicated in other districts, he added.

The meeting was attended by senior member of the Board of Revenue, finance secretary, colonies member, Punjab additional advocate general and other officers concerned.

Meanwhile, UK’s Department for International Development (DfID) Lahore’s new head, Jinal Shah, called on the chief secretary and discussed cooperation in the fields of health, education and other sectors.

The previous head, Roth Graham, was also present in the meeting.

CS Durrani said the government and DfID were collaborating in education, health and skill development sectors, adding that there was a need to enhance this cooperation.

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2018