The Lahore High Court on Friday adjourned the hearing of a plea challenging the proposed conversion of a park into residential plots at Lahore Press Club Housing Scheme (LPCHS) and their allotment to new members. The adjournment was granted as counsel for the Lahore Press Club (LPC) was not prepared for argument.
Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed adjourned the matter till May 19 and also asked the Advocate General to inform the court regarding the status of the managing director of Punjab Journalists Housing Foundation Lahore.
The petition filed by LPC member Din Muhammad Dard, questioned the transformation of a recreational park into a residential area. The petitioner submitted that the LPC had distributed allotment forms among members to provide them plots in the parks, thereby discarding the master plan of the LPCHS and in violation of the law.
The petitioner contended that any land meant for developing a park for the residents of the colony cannot be used for any other purpose.
He said that adjacent to the existing housing scheme, a large tract of private land was lying vacant from which acquisition of 581 kanals and 16 marlas had not only been proposed for Phase-II of the housing scheme but initial notification under Section 4 of Land Acquisition Act had also been issued in May 2007.
He said this land would be a better place for allotment of plots to new council members of the LPC. He said under Rule 10 of Punjab Private Housing Schemes and Land Sub-division Rules 2010, seven per cent or more of the scheme should be open spaces. He said conversion of the park into residential plots would also violate this provision.
Earlier, the court had restrained the government from converting the park into residential plots.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 30th, 2011.
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