The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday granted a stay order on Lahore Master Plan 2050, halting construction work on the project indefinitely.
Lahore Master Plan 2050 was approved on December 21 by Punjab Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi, who was also the head of the LDA governing body’s 8th meeting.
The provincial government launched the Ravi Urban Project as part of the Lahore Master Plan 2050 to protect the provincial capital from environmental pollution, the government’s lawyer for the government said during today’s hearings.
The petitioner expected the court would have ordered that the government take action to reduce environmental pollution. On the basis of the Lahore Master Plan, he urged the court to stop the illegal building.
The LHC issued notices to the Government of Punjab, the chief secretary, and other relevant parties, before adjourning the proceedings for two weeks.
The Lahore Master Plan 2050 concerned Justice Shahid Karim of the LHC concern on December 22, he claimed, placing the future of agricultural land at risk.
He made the comment after hearing several petitions from farmers against the Ravi Urban Development Authority’s alleged forced acquisition of property and sale of that land (RUDA).
The judge noted that the world opted for vertical housing buildings instead of expanding cities on land, saying that smog has reached a dangerous level.