LAHORE: Human Rights Watch (HRW) has recently released a report revealing that thousands of farmers near Lahore are being forcibly evicted for the Ravi Urban Development Authority (RUDA) project.
According to the report, the authorities have harassed and criminally charged more than 100 farmers since August 2020, accusing them of refusing to hand over the land they occupied.
Despite a Supreme Court ruling in 2022 allowing the government to continue development only on the land it had already acquired and for which it had paid compensation, farmers and activists claim that the development authority has continued to seize land.
While the project claimed that it would help solve various issues such as pollution, sewage, water, housing, and employment, the report highlighted that environmental groups have raised concerns about the project’s impact on the flow of the Ravi River, which could lead to an increased risk of flooding.
In 2022, former Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi allocated 700 Kanal of land for the construction of a journalists’ housing society in RUDA, but journalists refused the offer.
It is worth noting that the controversial real estate project was inaugurated by former Prime Minister Imran Khan in August 2020.
Besides, the HRW report urged the authorities to halt the eviction process and ensure that farmers are justly compensated.
has the problem of the evictions in Lahore been solved or is it pending in court?