LHC Suspends Lahore Master Plan 2050

The Lahore High Court granted a stay order on the Lahore Master Plan 2050 announced by the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) on Tuesday. The court issued notices to the Punjab Chief Secretary, the LDA Director General, the Environment Secretary, and other parties, for responses.

Citizen Mian Abdul Rehman, represented by Advocate Shahzad Shaukat, filed a petition before Justice Shahid Karim of the LHC.

Justice Karim expressed his displeasure with the simultaneous launch of numerous mega-projects in Lahore, adding that the inhabitants of the provincial capital are suffering from breathing issues, while the Punjab administration appears to be uninterested in regulating the smog in Lahore.

According to Advocate Shaukat, the city’s agricultural land was designated as an urban area for no reason, and the development mafia was responsible for convincing the LDA to approve this design.

He went on to say that the development mafia has already purchased the sites designated in the plan. He further argued that declaring the agricultural region an urban area would cause catastrophic environmental damage.

He urged the court to declare the LDA’s Lahore Master Plan 2050 null and void, and to direct the authorities to suspend the execution of the plan until the court’s final ruling.

In contrast, Punjab Additional Advocate General Ali Tipu challenged the petition, claiming that it was invalid.