LAHORE: The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has demolished a children park in Johar Town constructed by the Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA), despite a Lahore High Court (LHC) stay order, residents said.
According to a press release issued by the Johar Town G3 Welfare Society, the LDA bulldozed the park, converted it into a commercial area and started auctioning of plots. Johar Town G3 Welfare Society Secretary General Muhammad Saqib lamented that a great amount was spent on the construction of the park but the staff of LDA demolished it and took away sliders and others items used by the children in the park. “Construction of the commercial area in between the residential area is strange and a threat to safety and security of the area, since serving as well as retired judges have residence in the area. Only a few vested interests are spoiling peace of the area and ending space for recreation of children,” he said.
Saqib appealed to the LDA chairman to stop his staff from committing contempt of court and restore the park in its original form.
The LHC had stayed auctioning of plots No 5, 6 and 7 on March 19, 2014 and had directed the LDA to stop conversion of the park into a commercial market. However, the LDA is doing the opposite.
It is pertinent to mention here that Minister for Housing, Urban Development and Public Health Engineering Syed Haroon Ahmed Sultan Bokhari formed a three-member committee on Wednesday after the opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly expressed his apprehension over the fact that the government had failed to implement a Supreme Court’s verdict relating to the powers of the LDA which were contradictory to a specific section to the Constitution and the Local Government Act. Minister Haroon Ahmed Sultan Bokhari agreed with most of his objections.
