Pet market near Lahore’s Data Darbar demolished in anti-encroachment drive

Shopkeepers allege no prior notification of operation, LDA spokesperson dismisses reports as 'incorrect'

With the use of heavy machinery, the pet market in front of Data Darbar at Bhatti Chowk was demolished on Thursday morning. The market, which had operated for over three decades, was razed as part of an anti-encroachment operation.

The operation was reportedly carried out around dawn, with no prior notice, according to shopkeepers. Many of them said that they had no time to remove cash, goods, or animals housed in the market. They alleged that many of the animals died during the operation, buried under the debris.

Zaheer Ahmad, a shopkeeper, said that he had run his business in the pet market for the past 30 to 35 years. All traders were paying their rent regularly, he claimed, and possessed official receipts and documents, yet the entire market was demolished.

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The shopkeepers had pleaded for two hours, Zaheer added, to be allowed to remove their belongings and animals before the operation began. He said these requests were ignored by the authorities.

The market housed over 150 shops selling birds, cats, and other animals, along with accessories for them, according to the market’s secretary. He said the operation began abruptly with heavy machinery and the presence of a large police contingent, adding that no one was allowed to enter their shops.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Lahore Development Authority said that notices had been served multiple times to the encroachers before the operation.

He dismissed social media reports about animals and birds dying under the debris as “incorrect.” Posts on social media showing dead cats at the site actually showed stray cats that had died near the market.

The spokesperson added that staff from the Punjab Auqaf Department, District Government, and the Transport Engineering and Transport Planning Agency assisted the shopkeepers in removing their belongings before demolition.

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Meanwhile, officials from the Auqaf Department stated that around 16 kanals (around two acres) of government-owned land near Bhati Chowk had been cleared of encroachments. The land belongs to the Metropolitan Corporation, they said. It was vacated as part of the Data Darbar expansion and redevelopment project.

Officials added that the Lahore Heritage Authority plans to establish new commercial centres in the area, where affected traders may be allotted shops. However, the displaced shopkeepers claim that no official communication has been made regarding any alternative location or compensation, arguing that they have been left jobless after decades of work.