The Lahore High Court on Tuesday put a ban on construction of new mosques on land of Miani Sahib Graveyard and sought assistance from religious scholars on the issue. A bar member Shahid Maqbool Sheikh had challenged construction of mosques on the land of graveyard.
The court banned the construction of new mosques on the land of graveyard and directed the assistant commissioner concerned to submit a detailed report on the matter. The court also sought a report from the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) about restoration of public parks in the city. The petitioner stated that many people built shops on ground floor, mosque on first floor and residences on second floor.
The lawyer contended that if construction of mosques in such a manner was not stopped there would be mosques all over the graveyard. The lawyer pleaded that the LDA had not established public parks in its housing schemes like it developed Gulshen-i-Iqbal Park in Allama Iqbal Town decades ago.
The court also expressed concern on the matter and questioned the LDA's failure to develop public parks in Johar Town and other schemes. The court lamented that the LDA gave priority to commercial plots and ignored parks for public amenities in its housing schemes.
An officer of the Parks & Horticulture Authority told the court that it could develop public parks if the LDA provided it required land in its schemes. The court adjourned hearing for Wednesday (today) and sought a report from the LDA. Meanwhile, the court also sought compliance reports from PHA, Lesco and LDA about work for the restoration of Mall Road to its historic condition within a week.