LAHORE  - The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday directed for taking steps to set up graveyards comprising 50 acre land on all four sides of Lahore.

LHC Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan passed the orders while hearing a petition filed by Mubashar Almas against establishment of 557 housing societies on green areas, land reserved by the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) for agriculture and other purposes, in the city.

Punjab Chief Secretary Jawwad Rafique Malik, LDA Director General Ahmad Aziz Tarar, Registrar Cooperative Societies and other officials appeared before the court at the start of proceedings.

The Chief Justice remarked that the master plan of Lahore had been destroyed completely whereas one million people migrated to the city every year.

The petitioner’s counsel argued that many officials were posted in the LDA for long time whereas the incumbent LDA DG had come on deputation for second time. He submitted that a case was also pending against the DG with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), besides asking court to direct NAB to investigate properties of officials posted on deputation in the LDA.

At this stage, the Chief Justice observed that Lahore had been destroyed and now the authorities were taking artificial steps after the court took notice of setting up housing societies on green areas.

However, the Chief Secretary assured the court that green areas would not be used and the court orders would be complied with in letter and spirit. Subsequently, the court sought a list of officers posted in the LDA on deputation and adjourned further hearing till February 10. It is pertinent to mention here that the court had stayed constructions in housing societies established on green areas in the city, besides stopping implementation on the amnesty scheme by the LDA for housing societies, on the previous hearing.