Land acquisition: Punjab CM cancels DHA’s illegal notification

Officials contend it was issued without prior approval of the provincial govt.

LAHORE: Chief Minister of Punjab Shabaz Sharif has ordered provincial revenue and law departments and the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) to cancel an illegal notification and called for taking disciplinary action against the DHA lahore authorities.

The Defence Housing Authority (DHA) Lahore had issued a secret notification, without acquiring permission from the Punjab government, bringing some areas in LDA control under its own jurisdiction. These areas include the Ring Road, the western bank of the River Ravi, Raiwind Road, Ferozepur Road, Motorway, Thokar Niaz Baig.

The matter was pointed out by a central leader of the Pakistan Muslim League and member of the National Assembly, who produced a copy of the Gazette of Pakistan issued on January 5 to CM Punjab Mian Shahbaz Sharif.

The notification, issued by the administrator of DHA, Lahore, Brigadier (retd) Muhammad Aslam Rana on November 20 last year, was supposed to be implemented from the date of issuance after its publication in the gazette. The notification had been issued under the Chief Executive Order No.7 and No.13, issued by Pervez Musharraf, and the DHA Lahore’s Order of 2002, Article 2 of the Controlled Area Prevention of Unauthorized Construction and Imposition of Reasoable Restriction Regulation of 2009.

According to the letter, the DHA Lahore informed that it was widening its ‘controlled area’ in view of its needs in the Rahbar and other sectors.

According to the letter, the DHA has extended its controlled area  up to the Burki Road, Link Road Interchange towards Teerah village and Mandianwala up to the Ferozepur Road and Rohi Nullah towards West. Bagh-i-Erum has been included in the ‘controlled area’.

The Ordnance Depot, located in the Thokar Niaz Beg area of the EME Sector of the DHA, Lahore, the northern area of Motorway, the western side of the Raiwind Road from the Raiwind Road intersection up to the Defence Road Intersection, southern section of the Defence Road from Raiwind Road Intersection up to GT Road T-junction and the western part of Ravi River have all been declared the areas under the control of DHA.

According to the sources, the chief minister had issued a notification through provincial departments to maintain the ecological balance of Lahore prohibiting development of any kind in the Khadar area of River Ravi, encompassing more than 72 villages. Sources said that the DHA was not authorised to extend its ‘controlled area’ without the prior permission from the Punjab government, adding that the DHA had transgressed.

The sources said that when the PML-N leader presented a copy of the notification three days ago, senior member of the Board of Revenue, Punjab, Akhlaq Ahmed Tarar, Director-General LDA Umar Rasool and District Officer, Revenue, Lahore, Zulfiqar Ghumman were unaware of the notification.

The District Officer Revenue Lahore Zulfiqar Ghumman told Express that the government had ordered him to investigate the matter, adding that services of legal experts had been hired in this regard.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 1^st, 2011.