11/11/2023
Bahria Town (Pvt) Ltd Karachi (BTLK) expressed readiness on Wednesday to fulfill the Rs460 billion deal, provided the value of land in district Malir is "reassessed fairly." A three-judge bench, led by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa and including Justice Aminuddin Khan and Justice Athar Minallah, presided over the case. Salman Aslam Butt, counsel for Bahria Town Chairman Malik Riaz, informed the court of their willingness to make payment if the land's value was reconsidered.
Butt argued that Bahria Town had been unfairly charged an amount exceeding the market price for the land and requested the Supreme Court to allocate the land entirely to BTLK. The counsel pointed out that on November 6, the MDA verified in writing that only 12,237.5 acres were usable for BTLK development out of the approved 16,896 acres, with the rest reserved for utilities and other purposes.
The chief justice questioned whether the Supreme Court's decision was above the law. Butt asserted that the apex court's judgment could be enforced only under its original jurisdiction, emphasizing that the law of the land would prevail over the court's verdict. Justice Minallah, however, stated that the apex court's decision was final and would be implemented.
The court requested details of the amount deposited by Bahria Town and directed both Bahria Town and MDA to submit a report with evidence. It instructed the Sindh government and MDA to conduct a survey of the land held by BTLK, with a report due on November 23. The case hearing was adjourned. Notably, the land was leased to BTLK at a rate of Rs20.72 million per acre for 99 years, while other societies, including the Defence Housing Authority, received land at a rate of Rs100,000 per acre.
