LAHORE: The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) told the Lahore High Court on Monday that it could hold an inquiry into illegal possession of the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) land by police.

This was stated by ACE Director General Nafees Gohar during the hearing of a contempt petition against the Punjab inspector general of police (IGP) and other officials for not vacating the ETPB land despite an order passed by the court in this regard.

Earlier, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Additional Director Abubakar Khuda Bakhsh told the court that the offence did not fall in the jurisdiction of the agency.

Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan adjourned the hearing till March 24 and directed the ACE to come up with its report.

Muhammad Zakariya and others had filed a contempt petition through Advocate Asif Awan against the police for not vacating the ETPB land allotted to the department on lease.

The police in 2001 had requested the ETPB to let it construct the Elite Police Training School on the 72 kanals and seven marlas of land. The police authorities had offered the ETPB land of the same size in exchange, but in scattered form on three different palces.

The board of the trust materialised the land deal in 2011 and later leased out the land it got in exchange to the petitioners and others individuals.

However, the police once again took over the land during 2020 and deprived the petitioners of its lawful possession granted by the ETPB.

The chief justice also issued notices to the respondents on a fresh petition filed by a Hindu citizen, Chaitan Lal, for the recovery of a total of 775 acres from the police’s possession in different parts of the city.

Published in Dawn, March 2nd, 2021