LAHORE, Nov 1: An additional district and sessions judge on Tuesday restrained the Punjab government from ejecting five tenants of the FC College on the grounds that such an action could not be taken till the dispute of the college property, spreading over 265 acres, was resolved.

The judge issued the stay order in favour of about 40 tenants last week in as many identical petitions filed by Mushtaq Bhatti, secretary-general of the Lahore Church Council of the United Church in Pakistan.

Advocate Waheed Anwar submitted on behalf of the Lahore Church Council that the Punjab government resorted to an illegal act because a civil court had stayed the execution of the government notification of March 19, 2003, under which the college property was given to the Board of Foreign Missions of the Presbyterian Church of the US and its Women General Missionary Society.

He stated that both the organizations were neither registered in the US nor in Pakistan and were not legally entitled to work as such, particularly after they were merged in the Lahore Church Council in 1992-93. Besides, the Supreme Court had also given a decision in favour of the Lahore Church Council. Thus the government act was not only unlawful but fell within the mischief of contempt of the court, he stated.

REVIEW PETITION: The Lahore Church Council has also filed a review petition in the Lahore High Court seeking re-evaluation of its order of Oct 18 this year observing that the Lahore Church Council had no locus standi in agitating the issue of the FC College property.