LAHORE DIVISION

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan The Lahore High Court has rejected a request to immediately suspend the Punjab government’s notifications regarding agricultural tax and has directed the respondents to submit their replies within two weeks. The matter came before the court on petitions filed by MPA Ijaz Shafi and the Judicial Activism Panel, challenging the increase in agricultural income tax in the province. The petitioners questioned the legality and constitutional validity of the revised tax rates, arguing that the government had altered the agricultural tax structure without proper legislative approval. During the hearing, counsel for the petitioners argued that taxation could not be imposed, increased or modified through executive notifications alone. He maintained that any change in tax rates required the approval of the provincial legislature and must follow the constitutional process. The counsel contended that the impugned notifications bypassed the role of the Punjab Assembly and violated several constitutional provisions, including Articles 4, 9, 19-A, 25, 38, 77 and 127. He argued that the executive authorities had acted beyond their powers by revising agricultural income tax rates without democratic oversight and legislative sanction. The petitioners further submitted that the revised agricultural tax regime had placed an unfair burden on farmers and the agricultural community. They claimed that the measures were discriminatory in nature and had the potential to affect farmers’ livelihoods, rural incomes and overall economic stability. According to the petitioners, the agriculture sector was already facing multiple challenges, including rising input costs, unstable crop prices and financial pressure on growers. They argued that imposing additional tax liabilities without proper debate and approval by the assembly would worsen the economic difficulties of farmers. After hearing the initial arguments, the Lahore High Court declined to grant interim relief and refused to suspend the contested notifications at this stage. However, the court issued notices to the respondents and sought their replies within a fortnight. The case is expected to determine whether the provincial government’s revised agricultural tax measures were introduced in accordance with constitutional requirements or whether they require formal approval from the elected assembly.

Lahore: [ReNews Pakistan] The Lahore Development Authority has intensified its crackdown on illegal commercial buildings and commercial fee defaulters, sealing 116 properties during a large-scale operation across different areas falling under LDA control. According to the LDA, the operation was carried out by the Town Planning Wing on the directions of LDA Director General Tahir Farooq. LDA teams conducted actions in Gulberg, Model Town Extension, GT Road, Gulshan Ravi, Samanabad, Government Employees Cooperative Housing Scheme, Mustafa Town and Azam Garden, among other locations. During the operation, several properties were sealed over illegal commercial use, violations of building regulations and non-payment of commercial fees. The LDA said 27 properties were sealed in Gulberg and Model Town Extension over illegal commercial use and non-payment of commercial fees. Similarly, 52 properties were sealed on GT Road, in Gulshan Ravi and Samanabad for illegal commercial use, while action was taken against 15 properties in Government Employees Cooperative Housing Scheme. As part of the recovery operation, Town Planning Wing teams also sealed another 22 properties in Mustafa Town and Azam Garden. Officials said the purpose of these actions was to curb illegal commercial activities, recover outstanding dues and ensure implementation of LDA regulations. The sealed properties included private schools, beauty salons, clinics, grocery stores, cafés, restaurants, food points, electric stores, estate offices, bakeries, pharmacies, auto workshops, shops, offices and other business establishments. The operation was supervised by Chief Town Planner One Asaduz Zaman and Chief Town Planner Two Azhar Ali. LDA Director General Tahir Farooq said indiscriminate action against illegal commercial buildings and commercial fee defaulters would continue, adding that no leniency would be shown to those violating the law.

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan The Punjab government is considering an additional allocation of Rs 39 billion for the next phase of its model villages programme under the "Maryam Nawaz Ka Sohna Punjab" initiative, as the province moves to upgrade hundreds of rural settlements with modern civic and municipal facilities. The proposal was reviewed during a meeting held at the Civil Secretariat, chaired by Punjab Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafique. Secretary Local Government Shakeel Ahmad, Special Secretary Shahid Zaman Lak and other senior officials attended the meeting. During the session, the Punjab Rural Municipal Services Company briefed participants on progress made under the model villages project. Officials informed the meeting that 485 villages across Punjab are being developed under the programme. The first phase aims to provide modern municipal services to around four million people living in selected rural areas. Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafique directed the authorities concerned to take all necessary measures to complete the first phase of the project by December 2026. He said the initiative was part of the provincial government’s wider plan to improve living standards in rural communities and bring basic civic infrastructure closer to the people. According to the details shared during the meeting, the project covers 48 villages in Bahawalpur division, 55 in Gujranwala, 63 in Multan, 39 in Dera Ghazi Khan, 41 in Sargodha, 44 in Sahiwal, 51 in Gujrat, 50 in Lahore division, 58 in Rawalpindi and 36 in Faisalabad. Under the model villages programme, all streets in the selected villages will be paved, while traditional ponds will also be restored. The development package also includes plans for children’s parks and installation of streetlights to improve public spaces, mobility and safety in rural communities. Zeeshan Rafique instructed officials to avoid unnecessary damage to streets that had already been paved. He said development work should be carried out with proper planning so that existing infrastructure is protected and public funds are used efficiently. The minister also directed that water supply schemes should only be included in villages that are actually facing water shortages. He said the project must be implemented according to local needs instead of applying the same development model across all areas without assessment. Officials said the programme is expected to help improve sanitation, mobility, public lighting and basic municipal management in rural Punjab. The initiative is also aimed at reducing the rural urban service gap by providing facilities in villages that are normally associated with urban settlements. Zeeshan Rafique said Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif had directed that the scope of the model villages programme be expanded to 7,500 villages in future phases. He added that the experience and challenges of the first phase should be carefully reviewed before launching the next stages of the programme. The minister said lessons learned from the initial phase would help the government improve planning, execution and service delivery in future phases. He stressed that the model villages initiative should be implemented in a way that creates visible improvements in the daily lives of rural residents and supports long term development across Punjab.