LAHORE: Shopkeepers have lashed out at the Punjab government for demolishing the entire bird market at Bhati (near Data Darbar) on the pretext of encroachment for launching remodeling project and demanded that the chief minister take notice of causing a loss of millions to them besides killing a number of birds/animals during the operation.

“The government has really destroyed all of us economically. I can simply say it has killed us,” deplores a shopkeeper while talking to Dawn on Thursday.

“The LDA officials brought heavy machinery early on Wednesday morning and started razing all shops — 152 in total. They didn’t even care for several innocent birds and animals that were also killed after being buried under debris,” he said.

According to another trader, the shopkeepers were constantly in contact with the LDA, DC office and others through their representatives. And the officers were in favour of giving compensation to the shopkeepers first and then demolish the structure. But in the wee hours of Wednesday, the teams entered the area and started demolishing shops without giving ample time to the shopkeepers to at least shift their precious birds worth millions to safe place.

According to a spokesman for LDA, the shops had been built unlawfully at 16-kanal state land that was included in the Bhati chowk remodeling project aiming to get rid of the constant traffic mess and increasing noise and dust pollution in the area. “There are no reports of birds killed during operation, as the shopkeepers had already taken out all of them and other goods from their shops. And if they have any solid proof, show us,” he added.

Published in Dawn, November 7th, 2025