Mobile towers in residential areas: LHC summons DCO on 19th

[Naveed Yaseen]

LAHORE: Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday summoned the district coordination officer (DCO), and City District Government Lahore (CDGL) and Environment Protection Department (EPD) officials on October 19 to inform the court under which law the installation of mobile towers was allowed in residential areas.

The judge issued the directions while hearing two petitions moved on behalf of a company and Bilal Awan, the owner of the land where the tower was installed.

They prayed that a no-objection certificate (NOC) was obtained from the department concerned and the authorities should be restrained from removing the tower.

Earlier, Muhammad and Ahmed, (a non-governmental organisation) and five residents of the Government Employees Cooperative Housing Society had moved the LHC against installation of the tower in the society.

The petitioner’s counsel, Azhar Siddique, alleged that the tower was installed without obtaining a no-objection certificate (NOC). He said the NOC produced by the company and Awan during the hearing of their petition was bogus.

On Thursday, the Gulberg tehsil municipal officer (TMO) appeared and informed the court that an NOC had not been issued to the company.

After the TMO’s statement, the judge summoned the officials concerned.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...009_pg13_4