SC sets to announce its verdict on Lahore canal widening project

[Lahore_Real_Estate]

The Supreme Court on Thursday will announce its verdict over a suo motu case related to Lahore canal bank road widening project.A two-member bench headed by Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani had reserved its verdict on August 15 in Registry Branch Lahore after conducting final proceedings on the issue.Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani has authored the decision.During the course of hearings, Khadim Husain Qaiser, Additional Advocate General Punjab, Salman Aslam Butt counsel for Lahore Development Authority and Mehr Khan Malik Advocate on Record had appeared.

Dr. Parvez Hassan appeared as a court mediator whereas Ms. Imrana Tawana convener Lahore Bachao Tehrik/Save Lahore Movement, and Ms. Iram Aftab submitted their concerns.
The Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry had taken suo motu notice over Lahore canal bank road widening project which required felling down of a number of old trees.
The Chief Justice had restrained the Punjab government from cutting trees on either side of the canal bank.
Later Lahore Bachao Tehreek, Lahore conservative society and civil society organizations also become party in the case by filing separate petitions.
The Punjab government had apprised the Court that it agreed to recommendations made in report of Dr. Pervez Hasan, who was nominated as a mediator between the government and the stakeholders.
The Punjab government was pursuing the project to overcome the flow of traffic in the provincial capital and according to the plan, the road would be widened from Thokar Niaz Baig to the Dharampura underpass at a cost of Rs 3.15 billion, but civil society representatives claimed the cost would exceed Rs 9 billion.
It said the designated area of canal bank for cutting trees was 2.5 km from Doctors hospital to Thokar Niaz Beg which had 460 trees including a number of eucalyptus which had been banned by the government and the concerned department would plant 100 trees in place of each removed tree.
While the petitioners contended that the project would not be a right solution for traffic snarls.
Members of the Lahore Bachao Tehreek also pleaded that trees were a heritage for future generations and the project would cause irreparable loss to the environment.