Claims and denials: Judge denies any part in land grab

LAHORE: An additional district and sessions has submitted in writing, pursuant to a direction by the Supreme Court of Pakistan, a response denying allegations of his involvement in illegally occupying a five-marla house in Johar Town, The Express Tribune has learnt.

The Supreme Court had directed the session court to submit a reply after investigating the matter on an application by an overseas Pakistani who had accused Additional District and Sessions Judge Safdar Ali Bhatti of occupying his house and backing land grabbers. The judge said that the allegations against him were false and were aimed at blackmailing and humiliating him.

Dr Shahid Qureshi, an overseas Pakistani, had contended in an application sent to the Supreme Court that he had built a house in Lahore’s Johar Town A-Block in 2004 after buying the land and making full payment. He stated that he had later rented the house on the recommendation of Bhatti, who was his neighbour at the time, to Javed Hashmi, a friend of the judge.

He submitted that Bhatti’s younger brother was a guarantor in the tenancy agreement that was later also submitted to Johar Town police station, when such a submission became mandatory as part of counter-terrorism measures.

Dr Qureshi claimed that the tenants had forged ownership documents for his house. He claimed that his house’s number had been changed from 17-A to 9-A. He contended that according to the tenancy agreement he had submitted with the Johar Town police station for the same plot and as per all the utilities connections the plot number was 17-A.

Later, Javed Hashmi and one of his friends, Shahzad Arif filed a case in the sessions court contending that Dr Qureshi had occupied their house. The case was before Additional District and Sessions Judge Chaudhry Ghulam Murtaza. The court had directed the petitioners to produce documentary evidence by May 5 (today) to establish their ownership claim.

Talking to The Express Tribune Dr Qureshi accused judge Safdar Bhatti of being a land grabber and being behind the illegal occupation of his house. He said that he had rented the house on Bhatti’s recommendation to one of his friends.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Judge Safdar Bhatti said that he was not a land grabber. He denied ever requesting Qureshi to rent his house to Javed Hashmi.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 5^th, 2014.