Non-construction on plots: Court strikes down LDA’s policy

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court has struck down Lahore Development Authority’s policy of imposing penalty on citizens for non-construction on regulated plots. Justice Shahid Karim struck down the policy on Monday on a petition moved by a company. The judge ruled the LDA Act, 1975 provided no power to LDA to make such impositions. The policy was nothing more than instructions by the provincial government to LDA, which even otherwise did not have binding effect, the judge said. Barrister Ahmad Qayum argued on behalf of the petitioner the impugned notice was illegal and the authority was not empowered to charge the same. Allowing the petition, the court also set aside the impugned notice.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 3^rd, 2017.