.
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 state land acquisition.
Justice Jawad Hassan of the Lahore High Court (LHC) Rawalpindi Bench delivered a detailed verdict in the compensation petitions filed in 1983, approving a settlement obtained through the arbitration process.
As part of the settlement, compensation amounting to Rs2.30 billion was paid to the victims of 259 kanals and three marlas of land in Ojhri camp. The landowners accepted the compensation determined by the GHQ board in 2014, the court noted.
While approving the settlement, the court said the legal right of the affected people to seek increased compensation under the Land Acquisition Act would remain protected. He clarified that those affected could still approach the competent courts by filing requests for increased compensation.
The compensation claims were initially filed in 1983, after the Pakistani army acquired the land. The court record also states that the tragic Ojhri camp incident of April 10, 1986, occurred at the same site.
In its written order, the court highlighted that mediation committees and arbitration institutions are an urgent necessity for Pakistan’s judiciary, observing that such mechanisms save litigants valuable time, money and energy.
After the settlement was approved, the LHC ruled on the motions and all related claims.
