Garment city: Lahore High Court dismisses appeals

Advocate A Basit argues that occupying the properties was a violation of the Land Acquisition Act.

LAHORE: A Lahore High Court division bench on Tuesday dismissed appeals challenging a single bench decision, which dismissed several petitions against the establishment of a Garment City on Sheikhupura. Advocate A Basit appealed that the single bench had dismissed petitions without going into case details. He said they had failed to consider how farmers were going to be affected by the government project. He argued that occupying the properties was a violation of the Land Acquisition Act. He alleged small property holders had been targeted in the land acquisition. Representing the government, Acting Advocate General Mustafa Ramday said the project had not been designed over a few days, and the Punjab Industrial Estate had drafted it through consultation with experts. He claimed that the government wanted to provide employment opportunities. The bench comprising Justice Aminud Din Khan and Justice Shahid Hameed Dar dismissed the appeals after hearing arguments from both sides.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 19^th, 2014.