.
RAWALPINDI:
A nearly 43-year-old land dispute over the Ojhri camp area has been amicably resolved through arbitration, ending a long-running compensation case linked to the acquisition of state land.
Justice Jawad Hassan of the Rawalpindi Bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) issued a detailed verdict in compensation petitions filed in 1983, approving a settlement reached through the arbitration process.
As per the agreement, compensation worth Rs 2.3 billion has been paid to those affected of 259 kanals and three marlas of land in Ojhri camp. The owners agreed to accept the compensation determined by the Headquarters Board in 2014, the court noted.
In approving the settlement, the court stated that the legal right of those affected to seek further compensation under the Land Acquisition Act would continue to be protected. He clarified that those affected could still go to the relevant courts by filing petitions for an increase in compensation.
Compensation petitions were originally filed in 1983, after the Pakistan army acquired the land. The court record also states that the tragic Ojhri camp incident of April 10, 1986 occurred at the same place.
In its written order, the court highlighted that mediation committees and arbitration institutions are an urgent need for Pakistan’s judicial system, observing that such mechanisms save valuable time, money and energy of litigants.
Following approval of the agreement, the LHC disposed of the writ petitions and all related applications.
