LAHORE: The government has evicted plant nursery owners and their workers and took possession of over 25 acres in Gulberg — one of the several chunks of the Walton airport -owned by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

The move is seen a bid to develop commercial projects (high-rises, shopping centres, corporate offices, etc) in the area reportedly under the aegis of the Lahore Central Business District Development Authority — a new entity of by the Punjab government and headed by Chief Minister Usman Buzdar.

During the three-day operation since Tuesday, the government teams removed the nurseries. Passerby stole plants by the taking the advantage of the operation.

“We have been facing a terrible situation since Tuesday as government teams with police and other officials entered my nursery and started crushing our plants with machinery,” said Anwarul Haq, owner of one of seven nurseries.

Move being seen to facilitate commercial activities

“They were just saying to me vacate the state land.”

When asked about the legal status of the land, Haq said they were doing their business legally in the light of a stay order issued by the court long time ago.

He said these nurseries were oxygen factories for the city. “But now these have been abandoned by the government which claims to make Pakistan a greener country,” he said and accused the government of getting their signatures on various papers forcibly.

Munir Ahmad, another nursery owner, said they had been paying rent to the authorities on a monthly basis.

“The government officials damaged the nurseries. It is a great highhandedness.”

Prime Minister Imran Khan has issued directions to the Punjab government to ascertain viability of shifting Walton airport, the way forward for Abu Dhabi Group’s Taavun high-rise project on Ferozepur Road and the proposed Walton Central Business District project. The airport land is owned by the CAA, Pakistan Air Force, Pakistan Army and Army Housing Directorate. The plan to shift the airport emerged when the CAA cancelled a no-objection certificate issued for a 500-foot high building by the Taavun project.

A high level committee was also constituted to ascertain the feasibility and way forward for the proposed business district project. During the meeting, The LDA stated that the airport was hurdle to commercial areas development and the Taavun project also fell within the funnel area of Walton airport.

LDA Vice Chairman Mr Imran says flights taking off from the airport were a serious threat to a large population.

“Three to four incidents of aircraft crash have so far happened in Lahore in recent years since the airport area exists just in the middle of a huge population. Moreover, the government policies to promote commercial activities cannot be implemented in the area, as the CAA doesn’t issue NOC for a high rise project of over 150 feet or so.”

Lahore Commissioner Zulfiqar Ghumman said the government did not evict nursery operators as they themselves vacated the CAA land voluntarily. He said the land lease agreement had already expired.

Published in Dawn, February 12th, 2021