The government has been planning to develop a modern city beside River Ravi in Lahore for a long time but it would be at the cost of affecting a lot of dwellers and industrialists in the area.
Due to this, hundreds of industrialists and workers in the Mehmood Booti Industrial Area have set up camps to protest against the government’s plans. Also participating in the protest is a huge number of the residents of the area who feel “threatened” by the project.
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The industrialists have been very vocal in their criticism of the current government’s strategy for the new city. While speaking to the participants of the protest, the chairman of the industrialists’ association, Inam-ul-Haq Butt said,
The government wants to kill us economically. The industries have been set up here by investing billions of rupees and now the government wants to snatch the land from us and wants to hand it over to the land mafia which is not acceptable.
Butt added that the industrialist community has earned the right to continue working on the land in question by paying billions of rupees in various taxes, and it would be unjust of the government to take their land and livelihoods away.
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He also remarked that if an industry is relocated, it will take at least three years for it to be reestablished and by then, all the workers will be jobless.
The Punjab Secretary-General Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F), Mian Mustafa Rashid, also attended the protest and said that this project will be “the death of the industry and the land dwellers”, and warned that the protestors will force the Punjab Assembly to surrender if the project is not seized.
They should copy and paste the laws which is already present and practiced in Singapore for reclaiming the land. No big science here as they have created vertical city with minimum resources.
These people can easily be compensated. Govt should strike some sort of deal with this people. This is a huge project so these hindrances are normal.
It’s a novice-s dream and a poorly planned project. Govt doesn’t have the resources, public funds would be lost to ill planning. Another take is required
Our country needs industries, not house building projects. House building projects already exists through the many of developers. Industries provide jobs and the products which can be exported to earn foreign exchange to strengthen our economy.
Our people have hardly seen such type of projects essential for the modern world. Government should go ahead and compensate the genuine owners not land grabbers. Moreover this will not be built soon let’s take first step instead of just scraping and leaving the valuable land in the hands of selfish mafia who always pays people to stand against any welfare project
These people can’t see a developed Pakistan, if they are loosing there business govt definitely compensate them.
I have not seen any public welfare work done by This Government yet Dollar gambling made the life of 220Million Pakistani people, Every department filled with corrupt mafia
I send billions of Corruption monthly and money Laundering proves to Imran Khan two years ago did nothing he act on the slogan design by Qamar Bajwa Army chief executive
New Lahore City Project is a hoax and PTI Land Mafias just want to mint money destroying the natural habitat.
Its going to be a good project, construct activity would lead to job creation. In general people of Lahore would be benefited from such a huge project. Good step in a right direction.
Butt sahib is only protesting to have a PLOT free of cost in the project.