Lahore (Staff Report): The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday ordered to seize record of Royal Palm Country & Golf Club and banned construction of housing societies on railways land.
A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar heard a suo motu case against the lease of railways land at SC’s Lahore Registry.
During the hearing, the bench ordered to dissolve the administrative board of Royal Palm Golf and Country Club.
The court appointed Ferguson Chartered Company as the new administration and directed it to immediately seize all records.
The court, in its order, barred the old administration of Royal Palm Country & Golf Club from entering the premises of the club and ruled that all activities will run as per routine.
Directing Ramzan Sheikh and his management to hand over the club to Ferguson company, the CJP said, “Till the forensic audit is complete, the club will neither remain with the railways nor with Ramzan Sheikh.”
The SC also called for records of all cases pertaining to the club which are ongoing in the Lahore High Court (LHC).
Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid also appeared before the bench and pleaded to the court to retrieve the railways land.
At this, the CJP said, “Now, additional railways land will not be leased for an over three-year period. If the additional land is given to provinces then they will also sell it. We will let the railways land be with the railways and if provinces have reservations then they should file petitions in accordance with the law.”
The top court ruled that additional railways land will not be leased for any period over three-year.
Earlier, Pakistan Railways had sealed Royal Palm Golf and Country Club in a bid to recover its dues.
The department had also terminated lease contract that was signed in 2001 with Mainland Husnain Pakistan Limited (MHPL).
