LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday stayed the auction of the land bordering Walton airport without the process of demarcation.

Justice Shams Mahmood Mirza passed the order on civil miscellaneous applications filed by the Lahore Flying Club and owners of the said land.

A counsel for the petitioners stated that the government advertised auction of 130 kanals located adjacent to the airport. He said the government issued no notice to the owners of the land before going for the auction. He asked the court to restrain the government from holding auction without demarcation so that the land ownership could be determined.

The judge allowed the applications and restrained the government from holding the auction without demarcation of the land.

A main case against the construction of a business centre on the land is already pending before the court.

Previously, the court had allowed flying activities at the Walton airport till its shifting to an alternate place.

Against the shifting of the flying club, the petitioners had contended that the club’s predecessor, Northern India Flying Club, was duly incorporated in 1932 under the Indian Companies Act, 1913 (current regime is Companies Ordinance, 1984). However, after the partition, name of Northern India Flying Club was changed to the Lahore Flying Club in 1954.

The petitioners submitted the Walton airport was also an ideal location for landing of air ambulances in case of any emergency or disaster, as it was within a few minutes drive from major hospitals in Lahore.

Published in Dawn, August 5th, 2021