‘Sharifs’ estate’: LHC suspends ban on development around Jati Umra
Petitioner says city government notice declaring area agricultural illegal.
“The purpose of the impugned notification is to stop the land owners of the area from constructing their homes. The plan restricts the owners to simply growing crops,” the petitioner said. PHOTO: lhc.gov.pk
LAHORE:
The Lahore High Court on Monday suspended a notification issued by the city government banning construction in the area surrounding Jati Umra, which is owned by the Sharifs of the PML-N.
Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, hearing a petition filed by Advocate Noshab A Khan, issued a stay order against the notification and sought replies from the government and the Lahore Development Authority by July 4.
The petitioner submitted that the city government had on March 1 issued a notification stating that no new housing schemes could be developed on 2,000 acres around Jati Umra. The area could not be used for any purpose in future besides agriculture, said the notification.
The notification, said the petitioner, amounted to declaring the area to be “the estate of those political figures who are inhabitants of Jati Umra”. This was a violation of the fundamental rights of those living in the area around Jati Umra or those in the process of building housing colonies there, the advocate said.
“The purpose of the impugned notification is to stop the land owners of the area from constructing their homes. The plan restricts the owners to simply growing crops,” the petitioner said.
He said that the notification and demarcation of the area as agricultural land were not based upon the approved Master Plan of Lahore. He said that revenue officers had been directed to seek no objection certificates before accepting a land mutation in favour of a housing scheme.
He asked the court to declare the notification illegal and unconstitutional.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 2nd, 2013.
The Lahore High Court on Monday suspended a notification issued by the city government banning construction in the area surrounding Jati Umra, which is owned by the Sharifs of the PML-N.
Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, hearing a petition filed by Advocate Noshab A Khan, issued a stay order against the notification and sought replies from the government and the Lahore Development Authority by July 4.
The petitioner submitted that the city government had on March 1 issued a notification stating that no new housing schemes could be developed on 2,000 acres around Jati Umra. The area could not be used for any purpose in future besides agriculture, said the notification.
The notification, said the petitioner, amounted to declaring the area to be “the estate of those political figures who are inhabitants of Jati Umra”. This was a violation of the fundamental rights of those living in the area around Jati Umra or those in the process of building housing colonies there, the advocate said.
“The purpose of the impugned notification is to stop the land owners of the area from constructing their homes. The plan restricts the owners to simply growing crops,” the petitioner said.
He said that the notification and demarcation of the area as agricultural land were not based upon the approved Master Plan of Lahore. He said that revenue officers had been directed to seek no objection certificates before accepting a land mutation in favour of a housing scheme.
He asked the court to declare the notification illegal and unconstitutional.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 2nd, 2013.