Shrine land case: SC orders Sharif to submit reply

islamabad — The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to submit reply within two weeks in a suo motu notice pertaining to illegal construction of shops on a shrine’s land in Pakpattan.

A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar sought reply from Sharif to be accountable being a chief minister of Punjab in 1985, in the case.

The bench asked the thenchief minister as how he could transfer a shrine’s property to Dewan Ghulam Qutab, adding who gave this authority to the CM, the case was subjudice before the apex court when the CM issued the notification.

The bench also questioned the authority of CM by asking Sharif that whether a CM could change a high court verdict with his orders.

The chief justice asked whether a permission was given to build stores on the property and if yes, then under which law was the permission granted.

Munawar Dughal, counsel for Nawaz Sharif, requested the court to grant him some time to submit a reply in the case as he was just engaged in the case.

The bench, while granting him time of two weeks, adjourned further hearing of the case till the second week of November. On previous hearing, the additional advocate-general Punjab informed the court that about 8,000 kanals of land of the Pakpattan shrine belonging to the Auqaf Department was sold as per an order in 1985. —