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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 related to government land acquisition.
Justice Jawad Hassan of the Lahore High Court (LHC) Rawalpindi Bench issued a detailed judgment in compensation claims filed in 1983 and approved a settlement reached through the arbitration process.
As per the settlement, compensation of Rs 2.30 billion has been paid to the affected of 259 kanals and three marlas of land in Ojhri Camp. The landowners agreed to accept the compensation set by the GHQ Board in 2014, the court noted.
While approving the settlement, the court stated that the legal right of the affected persons to seek enhancement of compensation under the Land Acquisition Act remains protected. It clarified that those affected could still approach the relevant courts by filing a request for an increase in compensation.
The petitions for compensation were originally filed in 1983 after the Pakistan Army acquired the land. The court record also noted that the tragic incident at Ojhri Camp on April 10, 1986 took place at the same location.
In its written order, the court emphasized that mediation committees and arbitral institutions are an urgent necessity for Pakistan’s judicial system, noting that such mechanisms save valuable time, money and energy for litigants.
Following the approval of the settlement, LHC disposed of the writs and all related filings.
