RAWALPINDI: In response to a citizen’s petition against master plan violations and the issuance of no-objection certificates (NOCs) to private housing societies without meeting the required criteria, Justice Mirza Waqas Rauf of the Lahore High Court (LHC) Rawalpindi Bench issued notices.
As per the details, the director general of the Punjab Housing and Town Planning Agency (PHATA) and the director of the sub-region Rawalpindi were given notices to respond.
Furthermore, the court also ordered the additional attorney general to provide remarks and a thorough report from the Punjab Secretary of Local Government and Community Development and the DG PHATPA.
The sources told that Muhammad Usman, a resident of Adiala Road, filed a petition through his attorney Muhammad Razzaq.
The complainant made the Chief Secretary of Punjab, the Secretary of the Housing Urban Development and Public Health Engineering Department of Punjab, the Secretary of Local Government and Community Development, the DG and Director Sub-Region Rawalpindi of the PHATA, the DCs of Rawalpindi, Jhelum, Chakwal, Attock, and Murre, as respondents.
He argued before the court that wheat, rice, sugarcane, and other agricultural products were essential to Pakistan’s economy shortly after its creation in 1947. But today, he claimed, the nation’s agriculture is being destroyed by careful planning.
He said that all government-run agencies had submitted to the land developers and proprietors of private housing societies, who are quickly engulfing agricultural fields.
The sources claimed that the Punjab government put into effect the Punjab Land Use (Classification, Re-Classification, and Development) Rules 2009, which required the district governments to report on the properties used for commercial, industrial, and agricultural purposes.
However, the complainant said that the district administrations fell short of the goals, requesting that the court take action against the guilty party.
Justice Mirza Waqas Rauf of the lHC Rawalpindi Bench accepted the petition for hearing, sent notifications to the respondents, and requested a response.
