Expressway blocked

THE government of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has a knack of sneaking up on the people of Lahore. When the Lahorites are least suspecting it, out comes a grand scheme for their betterment — even if they are unable to see the benefits immediately and even if they continue to debate the merits of a project long after it has been executed.

The people are expected to firmly believe the chief minister’s resolve to turn his hometown into a modern metropolis at par with the most advanced in the world. There are occasionally problems, however, such as the recent hurdle created by the Lahore High Court — to the relief of many.

The high court has ordered the scrapping of an elevated expressway aimed at fast-forwarding the city towards development. A divisional bench of the court that came up with the ruling on Thursday was unable to share the urgency the government had displayed in pressing for the raised road.

Know more: High court scraps elevated expressway project

Hundreds of petitions had been filed seeking to block the expressway. The ruling, which may now be challenged in the Supreme Court, bars the government from acquiring land for the project.

Not only that, the court has questioned the priorities of the Shahbaz Sharif set-up and has gone as far as to advise it to focus, instead, on issues related to health and education.

One important aspect of the court’s censure is where it pointedly asked the government why it failed to have the necessary environmental impact assessment before taking up the project.

That is a clear signal for those in a hurry to turn Lahore into Paris or Istanbul or any other city to follow procedure.

For anyone who cares to listen, let it be said for the umpteenth time that such development schemes are the right of an elected city administration, undertaken after consultation with the people who make up the city.

The whims weigh heavy on the people the government is so obsessively looking to catapult to higher standards of living.

Published in Dawn, February 28th, 2015

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Comments (10) Closed

David Salmon

Feb 28, 2015 06:55am

It is no proper business of the court what are the priorities of the government. That is wholly within the discretion of the parliament, and the government is properly answerable for its policies only to parliament. This is an undemocratic order. . Unless this is specifically required by statute, I also am appalled at the court's requirement of "urgency" as a condition for the power of eminent domain. Governments may take property for any public use it deems sufficiently import, so long as it pays just compensation to the land owners. To require more would shackle progress and improvements to the wishes of individual landowners. . This is not to say I approve of this expressway. People can object politically. In San Francisco, where I spent my professional life, voted to halt freeway construction in its tracks when the powers that were attempted to wall the city in with elevated freeways. . I don't doubt the good intent of the court. But it should decide questions before it within the limits of the tripartite system of the constitution, respecting the proper powers of the executive and parliament. imho.

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mir aftab

Feb 28, 2015 12:02pm

The precedent was set by PMLn dragging previous governments on trivial issues. Courts have become less active and we see no suo motto action these days though some would be welcome. So we do have a need for courts to be more balanced.

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Momin

Feb 28, 2015 01:08pm

What Lahore is proper affordable housing for the poor. Nearly 60% of Lahore is slums such as Kot Lakhpat, Gari Shahu etc.

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Khalifa

Feb 28, 2015 01:30pm

Governance is too serious a business to be left to governments and assemblies, and that too the types that we find in Pakistan. Every so called elected outfit attempts to injudiciously use public funds that can win them elections in the next edition of the elections. And then they are left for scot free rampage of the mandate. When they find a minuscule of time away from self serving pursuits, they attempt to create some isolated project here and there to help them win the next elections. If other stakeholders such as judiciary, establishment, press and civil society do not take stock of the situation in an objective manner, the democratically elected rulers would become even more unscrupulous.

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Feb 28, 2015 02:50pm

It is a sham system. The government and the courts are together in fooling the people. The corrupt and spineless bureaucracy works against the people while compliant NA and the Senate continue in the sleep mode - Very sad state of affairs indeed!

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Haq

Feb 28, 2015 02:55pm

It's very sad to see when Institutions like High Courts infringe upon elected representatives right of governance.The Elevated Expressway was planned for all and sundries. The quick scraping with a stroke of pen suggest that interest of few influentials has been taken care of. The govt decision may have affected few land owners, who have all the right to get compensated. nevertheless, convenience of millions of motorists can not be ignored who have to suffer for hours in traffic jams bearing financial + time losses individually and to govt exchequer largely.None of the cities in Pakistan is organised like elsewhere in the world, mushroom of habitations emerged over the decades, thanks to corrupt govt functionaries and courts leniency in granting stay orders to affected. Construction of overhead bridges on Ferozpur road has eased up the life of all, such like projects must be developed on priority in all major cities of Pakistan which are already overdue. In yet another court order, the govt was barred from cutting the trees for widening of roads. It is really painful to notice when ground realities are over sighted and judgments passed.Yes, the govt must be asked to plant new trees wherever possible but activities in public interest in large must not be hindered. If the judiciary wants its share in govt functions, they may be inducted as defective PM & CMs to avoid lengthy court proceedings.Here is another proposal that ownership of private transport be restricted by levying heavy taxes to curb the tendency of having self driven cars and keep the roads void of heavy traffic jams. I wouldn't care if such judgments are invoked after my demise but in my life, I have the right to avail all these facilities and see my country on the path of prosperity.

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Ali Vazir

Feb 28, 2015 05:39pm

Though I would not go so far in criticizing SS, but very rightly said by you "that such development schemes are the right of an elected city administration, undertaken after consultation with the people who make up the city." Nice one dear Ed.

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Mishele

Feb 28, 2015 11:59pm

When a government tries to reorder an entire city for the top 7%, it should be considered a criminal act, which has to be stopped by judicial authorities. That is what the expressway project was doing; easing life for our car owners. What about the thousands of pedestrians who have no identity in these projects? Or children? Or elderly? Or disabled? Or homeless? Or lower income classes who cycle to work? Or women who use public transport. And you talk about development; a very good example of development is what took place in Bogota, Columbia, whose mayor says that a developed city is not where the poor own cars, but where the rich use public transport. These schemes, dear sir, are not in the name of development. And you are a fool for thinking so.

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siki

Mar 01, 2015 12:38am

@David Salmon my dear friend this is not san francisco ...the govt planned to make the expressway without carrying out enviourment impact study which according to the penal code is illegal...they were planning to demolish the doctors hostel and paediatric opd of the biggest govt hosputal in lahor to make way for the road which again is illegal and finally they were acquiring land without payibg compensation before starting the project which again is illegal...the judicial system sucks in pakistan but finally this is the one thing they got right

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Dr.M.Irfan

Mar 01, 2015 10:15pm

What is the budget for development of Faisalabad? No street lights,no public transport,no electricity.The second largest Industrial city is being ignored.What to talk about far flung cities like Rajanpur? Lahore alone is not Pakistan.It appears as if Lahore is colonists rest of Pakistan

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