LAHORE: The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) will soon challenge the verdict of the Lahore High Court by filing an appeal in the Supreme Court.

Official sources in the LDA told Dawn that the verdict had been given without considering the facts, merit and benefits of the project. They said the machinery present at the construction site near Siddique Trade Centre would also be removed soon.

“We respect the learned judges and the courts and their decisions. But since we reserve the right to challenge this decision, we have started work on filing an appeal in the Supreme Court,” a senior LDA official told this reporter.

He said the decision to file appeal was taken after the LDA’s senior officials concerned, including law officers and experts, were of considered opinion that the verdict had been given without going through the need, merit and viability of the project.

“LDA powers have also been clipped for launching any such project in future. But how the LDA scope of development work can be eliminated in the presence of the LDA Act-1975 under which the authority is empowered to launch development work,” the official said.

Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2015

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