LHC bars Punjab govt from taking further action on Ewing Hall after takeover controversy

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Thursday restrained the Punjab government from taking further action regarding 11.5 kanal Ewing Hall belonging to Forman Christian College University (FCCU).

Earlier this month, activists and alumni raised concerns over the government’s alleged repossession of Ewing Hall, arguing that the move could jeopardise an important part of the college’s historical legacy. The Punjab government, however, has maintained that the lease had expired years ago and that substantial dues remained unpaid.

On Thursday, Justice Ahmad Nadeem Arshad issued the order reserved the other day on a petition filed by the FCCU registrar.

A counsel for the petitioner argued that the Punjab government had forcibly taken possession of the land on June 11 and that the Board of Revenue’s (BoR) move to cancel the lease was illegal.

The counsel informed the court that the land of Ewing Hall, situated at Neela Gumbad, New Anarkali, had been leased to the college in 1915 and the lease period was extended in 2018 until 2048.

He asked the court to restore possession of the land and restrain the government from taking any further action until a final decision on the matter.

Opposing the petition, an additional advocate general of Punjab raised objections to its maintainability and argued that the petitioner had not deposited lease payments since 1975, which amounted to a violation of the agreement.

The law officer further contended that the land had been acquired for educational purposes but was being used for commercial activities. He asked the court to dismiss the petition.

During the hearing, Justice Arshad observed that if the government intended to recover lease rent from the college administration, it should have issued a proper notice before initiating any action.

After hearing arguments from both sides, the judge suspended the operation of the BoR decision regarding the cancellation of the lease.

The judge sought a detailed report from the Punjab government and restrained it from proceeding further in the matter till the next hearing.

In an earlier statement, FCC Rector Dr Jonathan Addleton said the university officials were informed by telephone on June 10 that the building would be taken over the following day. The next day, the university was allegedly given 24 hours to remove generators, furniture and historical artefacts from the premises.

Days later, the Lahore Heritage Areas Revival Board (LHAR) denied reports that Ewing Hall would be demolished following the government’s takeover of the property, saying the structure would be preserved and restored.