Gaddafi Stadium: Court stops PCB from rebuilding wall

Gulberg TMO says wall built without planning approval on a green belt.

LAHORE:

The Lahore High Court on Wednesday barred the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) from rebuilding a wall at its headquarters in Gaddafi Stadium that had been torn down by municipal authorities, after the court was told that it had been built without approval and on a green belt.

Justice Abadur Rehman was hearing a contempt of court petition moved by the PCB, accusing Gulberg Town officials of razing a wall in violation of a court order, and illegally detaining three PCB guards.

The Gulberg town municipal officer appeared before the court on Wednesday and said that the PCB had not got a building plan for the wall approved from the town administration, nor obtained a no-objection certificate for its construction. He said that the wall was on a green belt, which was against regulations. He said that when town officials had razed the wall, PCB officials had not shown them the LHC stay order. He said that the board had misled the court in this regard.

Justice Rehman ordered the PCB not to rebuild the wall and adjourned until June 25.

Earlier on June 13, Justice Rehman had allowed the PCB to reconstruct the wall and instructed the municipal authorities not to interfere. The Gulberg SP had also told the court that the criminal cases registered against the three PCB guards would be cancelled. The PCB says the wall is necessary for security reasons.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 21^st, 2012.