Metro bus project restrained from razing buildings

[Salman]

Metro bus project restrained from razing buildings

ISLAMABAD: Justice Shah Khawar of the Lahore High Court (LHC) Rawalpindi bench restrained the metro bus project management from demolishing two building at Rehmanabad by issuing a status quo order on Tuesday, after two petitioners alleged that the original master plan of the project was altered due to the vested interest of some PML-N members.

Earlier the status quo order was issued by another LHC judge on July 18. Justice Khawar extended the order till August 12, seeking a reply from the Punjab government and the Rawalpindi Development Authority, along with the original master plan of the project.

The petitioners, including the owner of a local newspaper Sheikh Iftikhar Adil and his neighbour Risal Khan, alleged that their buildings faced demolition threats due to an alteration in the master plan of the project.

The petitioners stated that the buildings that were initially meant to be demolished belonged to a sitting MPA of PML-N, thus the plan was altered. Risal Khan also alleged that it was to victimise Iftikhar Adil’s son, who stood in the elections against the Chairman Metro Bus Project Hanif Abbasi.

Published in Dawn, August 6th, 2014