This land is my land : Presbyterian Church claims PCSIR occupying its property

LAHORE: A caretaker has moved a district and sessions court to register a case against officials of the Pakistan Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (PCSIR) for occupying a church’s land.

Petitioner Rafique Masih told the court that on February 22, 2017, he was empowered and declared as caretaker of the Regional Liaison for South Asia Presbyterian Church (USA). He contended the land of was owned by Presbyterian Church (PC), while PCSIR had no connection with the property, either directly or indirectly.

According to a decision of the Lahore High Court, both parties were not allowed to construct on the property till it was demarcated. However, PCSIR violated the order and constructed a wall on the premises in 2008 and even continued digging, the petitioner claimed. Rafique said that due to the sensitivity of the matter, he was directed by PC USA to hire security guards to avert illegal construction on the land.

He said on March 20, 2017, the security guards informed him that some people were playing sports in the ground. They players claimed they had taken permission from the PC USA administration. He later learnt that a PCSIR Director General Dr Quratulain, her husband and some others were earning money by conducting sports activities on the grounds of the land.

The petitioner said when his side tried to take action, the rival party held him and the security guards hostage for several hours before getting them arrested in connivance with the local police on charges of occupying the property. The petitioner claimed he was admitted to the Ittefaq Hospital on March 22, 2017 as his vision was blurry due to the abuse he suffered when in captivity of the respondents. He claimed to have submitted an application to the Gulberg SHO, but nothing was done over the matter.

He contended an additional district and sessions judge had also ordered law enforcers to record his version of events, but the cops seemed reluctant to do so. He requested the court to register an FIR against Dr Quratulain, her husband and others for occupying the church’s land.

Talking to The Express Tribune, PCSIR Director General Dr Quratulain said the land owned was owned by the council and the Presbyterian Church had no claim over it. She said the allegations leveled against her were fictitious to say the least.

PCSIR Chairman Dr Shehzad Alam also said the allegations against Dr Quratulain, her husband and the others were baseless. He claimed the property had been in the possession of PCSIR since 1952. He said the Presbyterian Church had no right to claim ownership and had concocted a story to give the matter a religious colour. SHO Gulberg Babar Ashraf said both parties were in litigation in court, adding the land was in the possession of PCSIR, but owned by Presbyterian Church.

Source: The Express Tribune