The Lahore High Court here Tuesday sought replies from Punjab Journalist Housing Foundation and other respondents in a petition challenging proposed conversion of recreational park at Lahore Press Club Journalist Housing Scheme into a residential area.
Earlier, Lahore Development Authority through its counsel contended before the court that it had no link with the housing scheme and was only to carry out development works there. The court therefore directed all other respondents to file their replies on the matter by April 4. The court on January 21, during preliminary hearing, had restrained Punjab government from converting park into residential plot and now, on Wednesday, extended this stay till next date of hearing.
A senior journalist, Din Muhammad Dard had submitted that the elected body of Lahore Press Club had distributed forms among new members to provide them plots in the parks. He said that according to law, once a land allocated for developing a park for the residents of the colony could not be shifted for any other purpose. He submitted that adjacent to the existing housing scheme, a private land is lying vacant from which acquisition of 581Kanal, 16marla land had not only been proposed for phase-II of housing scheme but initial notification under section 4 of Land Acquisition Act was also issued in May 2007.