RAWALPINDI – The Lahore High Court (LHC), Rawalpindi Bench, has sought a detailed response from the provincial government regarding in response to a plea challenging legality of the land acquisition process in Murree.
Advocate Saad Javid Satti, counsel for the Murree Hotels & Restaurants Association and other petitioners, invoked jurisdiction of the LHC. The petitioners claim the Punjab government and Municipal Corporation Murree failed to observe mandatory provisions of the Punjab Acquisition Rules, 1983.
Appearing before the single bench of Justice Malik Muhammad Awais Khalid, Advocate Satti argued that the entire acquisition process is vitiated for non-compliance with mandatory provisions of the Punjab Acquisition Rules, 1983, specifically Rules 3, 4, and 5. He apprised that these rules, which govern the procedure for land acquisition, were allegedly ignored before the government issued the impugned notification under Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894.
Advocate Satti also pointed out the failure to comply with environmental safeguards under the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, 1997. He stressed that no project can proceed without an Initial Environmental Examination or an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) as required under Section 12 of the Act, calling the non-submission of an EIA a major legal failing.
It is pertinent to mention that the land acquisition process follows a provincial government notification on October 4, 2024, relating to the Murree Development Program. The program gained further prominence when Chief Minister of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz, reportedly announced a Rs 550 million restoration plan on October 20, 2024, aimed at developing Murree as a model tourism destination. The project components include restoring Murree’s historic Mall Road, a glass train project, and a modern hospital, with a steering committee led by Senior Provincial Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb appointed to oversee it.
However, the Murree Hotels & Restaurants Association and various affected shop owners have challenged the land acquisition process that resulted from the notification, arguing that it is fundamentally flawed. After hearing arguments, the Court issued notices to the Government of Punjab, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and other respondents, seeking their detailed replies in the matter.
Former PM Abbasi Warns of Uprising Over Murree Land Acquisitions:
Meanwhile, earlier on September 19, 2025 former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has strongly criticized the Punjab government for what he termed “unjust land acquisition” under Section 4 in Murree, warning that such actions could compel locals to launch a movement similar to the one in 1997. Speaking at a press conference in Murree, Abbasi said that people’s land and businesses are being acquired without justification and that Schedule Four has been applied in the area for the first time. He denounced the practice as oppressive, adding, “Punjab is being run through the police. The Dayspring reported.
The police belong to no one – they have handcuffed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Mian Nawaz Sharif, Imran Khan, and Maryam Nawaz alike. Using state power to suppress people is condemnable.” He also criticized the demolition drive on Murree’s Mall Road, particularly targeting Kashmiri Bazaar, saying it would leave a large number of people unemployed. Commenting on foreign relations, Abbasi said strengthening Pakistan–Saudi Arabia relations was the need of the hour, reminding that Pakistan had always supported Saudi Arabia in matters of defense and that nearly five million Pakistanis were working there. Abbasi was accompanied by Coordinator Hafiz Usman Abbasi, Haseeb-ur-Rehman Abbasi, and Kamran Masood Abbasi.
