Lahore Walled City Authority (LWCA) told to prove no plaza constructed in Walled City

LAHORE: Justice Abid Aziz Sheikh of the Lahore High Court directed the Lahore Walled City Authority (LWCA) to file a report until April 16 proving that no plaza was constructed within its domain.
During the hearing of a petition against construction of plazas in the Walled City on Monday, the court was informed that no such construction was made, on which the judge sought a report. 
Asif Ali Mirza, a resident of Kashmiri Gate, Lahore, moved the petition.
Counsel for the petitioner Muhammad Azhar Siddique said that local authorities allowed construction of a commercial plaza. He submitted that the respondents had excavated the adjoining property for digging out a basement, thereby damaging the property of the petitioner, and had started raising illegal construction over the said property without any sanctioned site plan and without obtaining permission form the authorities concerned. He said that the historical place of worship located in the Walled City was being damaged due to illegal construction of a multi-storey building, which was continuing on the adjacent piece of land.

He submitted that the place of worship was an Imambargah located inside Kashmiri Gage, and the illegal construction had caused cracks in the walls of the 200-year-old Imambargah. He apprehended that in case the construction was not stopped, the worship place would collapse very soon.
He said that the petitioner had also obtained a licence under Section 30 of Act V, 1861 and the same was granted by the competent authority for conducting worship and taking out “tazia” during Muharram processions. The counsel submitted that the petitioner had also moved an application to the Punjab chief minister for redressing his grievance.

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