ISLAMABAD: A high-profile meeting on Friday decided that Rawalpindi commissioner will decide the fate of a disputed property spread on 4.6 acres of valued land at Kashmir Point in Murree.

The huddle agreed upon implementing the commissioner`s ruling rigorously, read an official statement issued following the meeting.

Federal Minister for Housing and Works Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada chaired the meeting which was also attended by Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar, secre-tary of housing and works, additional commissioner Rawalpindi and other senior officers.

According to the housing ministry, the meeting was convened on the directions of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to settle litigation issues involving the state-owned property in Murree.

`It was decided in the meeting that the commissioner will give his ruling on the case after hearing all parties and perusing the revenue records. The commissioner`s ruling will determine the right of the claimants on merit after which an aggressive action will be taken by initiating criminal proceedings against those who have been misleading courts and state offices for years through false claims and forged documents,` the official statement said.

The meeting was briefed on the property details and occupation status of Constantia Lodge, bearing estate number (Khasra numbers 43 and 44), situIated at Kashmir Point in Murree.

The ministry said the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) owns the highvalue propertymeasuring 4.6 acres.

It was apprised that there were three claimants to the property, which has been encroachedupon.

In the past, the lodge also remained under the use of the Foreign Office for the accommodation of foreign missions and was also leased to the Brazilian embassy but later it was transferred to the Public Works Department (PWD) which was part of the Ministry of Housing and Works in 1999.

While briefing on the ongoing litigations, it was informed that there are six ongoing cases in different courts of law and recently, the Lahore High Court`s Rawalpindi Bench has remanded the case to the Rawalpindi commissioner to decide the matter at the earliest.

After the partition, the said property was taken over by the ETPB.Later on, it was leased out to the Brazilian embassy and in 1999, the building was vacated by the Brazilian embassy. After this, it was handed over to the PWD.

When the relevant ministry tried to get possession of the property, its caretakers filed court cases.

The caretakers of the building refused to vacate it, stating that they and their forefathers had been living there for over 100 years.

`Today, the meeting decided that this matter should be resolved as soon as possible. Commissioner Rawalpindi will decide the fate of this property after hearing all stakeholders following which action would be taken,` said a participant of the meeting.

The Standing Committee on Housing and Works had already taken up this issue in several meetings and directed the ministry and Rawalpindi administration to resolve the matter.