LAHORE: The Punjab Revenue Department on Thursday told the Lahore High Court that 6,900 acres land of forest department had been retrieved from illegal possession of Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Sardar Sher Ali Gorchani.

Chief Settlement Commissioner Dr Saqib Aziz appeared before the court along with officials of the revenue department in connection with a petition of a PTI MPA against the illegal possession of the land.

The officials submitted a written report and informed the court that 6,900 acres land possessed by the PA deputy speaker had been reclaimed.

The report said the chief minister would decide the matter of transferring the land to the forest department or to any other department. It said the remaining part of the land would also be retrieved soon.

Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah directed the revenue department to submit another report about the recovery of the remaining land on Feb 11.

PTI MPA Sardar Ali Raza in his petition said the deputy speaker in connivance with revenue officials grabbed precious land. He said the respondent started cultivation on the land by cutting the woods. He asked the court to get the land recovered fromillegal possession of Gorchani.

CECIL FOUNDATION: Cecil and Iris Chaudhry Foundation and Judicial Activism Panel filed a joint application in LHC to become party to pending petitions against Orange Line Metro Train challenging acquisition of land of historical churches.

The petition filed through Advocate Azhar Siddique said it had been conveyed to the CM that apart from other heritage buildings the project would also damage Saint Andrew Church, Cathedral Church, Presbyterian School and Kinnaird School.

It said the project caused a concern among the Christian community as their worship places would be damaged.

KANJU CASE: A LHC division bench gave more time to the prosecution department to advance arguments on its appeal against acquittal of Mustafa Kanju, son of former state minister in Zain murder case.

The bench had on Dec 15 reserved verdict on the maintainability of the appeal; however, Additional Prosecutor General Abdul Samad asked the bench to hear more arguments of the prosecution. He said the prosecution wanted to apprise the bench about more facts of the case.

A division bench headed by Justice Shahid Hameed Dar allowed the request and directed the prosecutor to come up with arguments on Dec 22.