LAHORE: Lahore High Court Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan on Tuesday summoned the Punjab chief secretary after the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) head failed to satisfy the court on the issue of illegal housing societies established on the green areas.

The chief justice also summoned the data of the officers posted in the LDA on deputation.

LDA Director General Ahmad Aziz Tarar and its legal adviser Sahibzada Muzaffar appeared before the court during the hearing of a petition against the establishment of illegal housing schemes in the authority’s limits.

The petitioner’s counsel said the LDA furnished a “vague” report about the illegal societies and stay orders issued by the courts in their favour. He said the LDA had not fixed responsibility for the establishment of the housing societies on the agricultural and green land areas.

To the court’s query, the LDA DG said 241 housing societies had been found illegally established on the green land areas, while 62 others had been approved.

However, he could not come up with an apt answer when asked about the numbers of the illegal societies established during the last two years and the compliance with the legal requirements before approving the societies.

“The court can appoint a session judge as a commission if the LDA is unable to do anything on the matter,” Chief Justice Khan asked the LDA DG.

The chief justice also expressed his displeasure over violation of the master plan of the city and asked the LDA officials to quit if they could not fulfill their responsibilities.

The chief justice summoned the chief secretary and other high officials of the province on Feb 4.

On the last hearing, the court had directed the LDA to stop all kinds of construction work in illegal housing societies established on the green land areas and also to immediately suspend the amnesty being given to such schemes.

Published in Dawn, February 3rd, 2021