LAHORE: The Lahore Division Master Plan-2050 is likely to be enforced from the next fiscal year 2026-27 starting from July 1, as the process to review and prepare its final draft is currently underway.

The plan’s final draft is expected to be submitted to the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) metropolitan wing by May 31, Dawn has learnt.

“Following directions issued by the court, the consultants who prepared the plan in 2022, are currently reviewing it in a bid to prepare a final draft keeping in view the developments took place in last 5/6 years or so,” Muhammad Faisal Qureshi, the LDA’s Chief Metropolitan Planner (CMP) said while talking to Dawn on Thursday.

“Currently, the LDA is using the Master Plan-2016 in performing various duties/services related to approval of housing schemes, land subdivisions etc,” he added.

Plan being revised as per 2023 census; currently LDA using 2016 plan in performing services related to approval of housing schemes

Sharing details related to working on the plan, he said, the consultants are reviewing the plan on the basis of 2023 census, as the previous final draft of the plan approved by the then Punjab government had been prepared on the basis of 2017 census.

“In this period, new built-up areas emerged in Lahore and its other districts. So, I think these built-up areas would also be incorporated in the brown areas (residential and mixed-use). Similarly, any new development took place in the project area of Ravi Riverfront Urban Development Project and mentioned in the master plan of Ravi Urban Development Authority (Ruda) would also be incorporated in the Lahore Division Plan-2050,” he explained.

The LDA’s governing body, in February this year, gave the metropolitan wing a go-ahead to complete the plan-2050 after negotiating with the consultants regarding the Rs320 million expenditures it had sought in this regard. This was done following the court orders seeking completion [time to time]. Moreover, a high-level committee also wanted its completion as soon as possible.

It is pertinent to mention that the matters concerning urban growth, planning, approval of housing schemes, green areas and others in Lahore City district in particular, and other districts and towns in general, are currently being dealt under the obsolete amended Lahore Division Plan-2016 - a revised version of the Punjab Capital Master Plan 2004-2021.

The Lahore Division Master Plan-2050 was completed in 2022 and later challenged in the Lahore High Court that finally suspended its enforcement in January 2023. Though the then CM, had on Oct 17, 2022 approved the plan, it was challenged in the court terming its approval an allegedly ‘managed’ affair and designed to extend undue benefits to land mafia and property developers. It was also feared that the plan would also have a ‘devastating’ impact on the environment.

The court had also observed that the ‘random’ and ‘aimless’ development projects of the government were a threat to citizens’ health and the economy of the country. Since the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had also launched a probe, the LDA, in the light of the court orders decided in April 2023 to get the plan reviewed and okayed by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the Urban Unit of the Punjab Planning and Development Department. However, the review could not be done due to unknown reasons.

The plan-2050 envisages a new city centre in Gulberg and contained details of the city’s future growth and expansion. The master plan included a regional plan of Lahore Division, as well as master plans of major urban settlements falling within the division.

In it, the Lahore district would include a northern part of the Sheikhupura district to accommodate its growing population. For the three districts of Sheikhupura, Nankana and Kasur, master plans of major urban settlements had also been prepared. It also incorporated plans and policies of three other authorities, the Walled City of Lahore Authority, Punjab Central Business Districts Development Authority and Ravi Urban Development Authority.

“If the final draft is received to us by May-end, we will be able to thoroughly check and hold a public hearing regarding the plan’s Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) through the environment department within 20 days or so. And finally we will be able to submit it for approval to the LDA’s governing body meeting planned to be held in last week of June,” the LDA CMP maintained. “And after approval, we will be able to enforce it from July this year,” he added.

Published in Dawn, May 4th, 2026