FIRs filed against 115 societies over greenbelt encroachment in Lahore

LAHORE: The LDA informed the Lahore High Court (LHC) that cases have been registered against 115 illegal housing societies that have encroached greenbelts in the city, in a hearing on Tuesday, ARY News reported.

A single bench comprising LHC Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan heard a petition filed by a citizen, Mubbashir Almas against construction of 557 housing societies on green land areas and greenbelts.

Chief Justice Qasim Khan said Lahore Development Authority (LDA) only completing formalities for the court.

The counsel of the petitioner said that failed to act despite the court orders. “The cases are in courts since 2015 but the LDA has failed to recover an inch of the encroached land,” the counsel argued.

“A better environment is constitutional right of every citizen, if the DG LDA failing to assist the court, I will constitute a commission,” Chief Justice Qasim Khan said. “If you could do something, tell the court till tomorrow, otherwise a commission will be constituted,” court said.

The court directed the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) director general and vice chairman to appear before it along with the relevant record and called for keeping the amnesty scheme on hold.

At a previous hearing, the LDA counsel had told the court that notices have been issued to the housing societies constructed on green land areas and the societies have been prevented from providing power, water and gas connections as well as a ban has been imposed on the sale of land in these societies.

He said at least 241 societies had been found involved in violation of greenbelts.

The chief justice said that housing societies could not be developed over the green land area but due to inefficiency of the LDA now millions of people living in these housing societies.