Punjab Province

The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) held a public hearing on the environmental aspects of the Lahore Division Master Plan 2050, where participants were informed that residential and commercial high rise development would be promoted as part of planning to accommodate future housing needs, population growth and urban expansion. Presentations at the hearing, held at the LDA Sports Complex in Gulberg, outlined the urban requirements of Lahore, Sheikhupura, Kasur and Nankana Sahib. Alongside housing and construction, the master plan covers public transport, roads, water supply, sewerage, education, healthcare, industry and green spaces. Consultants told participants that projected population growth and future housing demand were key considerations in the planning process. The proposed promotion of residential and commercial high rises was being considered alongside civic infrastructure, transport requirements and pedestrian needs. The hearing was also informed that planning for areas associated with the Ravi Urban Development Authority (RUDA), the Central Business District (CBD), cantonments and the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) was being incorporated into the Lahore master plan. Developers and other stakeholders were also being engaged to address environmental pollution linked to urban development. Punjab Environmental Protection Agency Additional Director General (Operations) Sharjeel Hafeez Wattoo and the LDA’s chief metropolitan planner attended the hearing. The chief metropolitan planner and project consultants explained the need for the Master Plan 2050 and its significance, saying suggestions on environmental pollution submitted during the hearing would be reviewed. International consultancy Dar Al Handasah and Asian Consulting Engineers briefed participants on different aspects of the planning framework. Dar Al Handasah representatives said environmental impact assessment considerations were informing the preparation of the master plan. According to the consultants, the framework also takes account of smog, environmental pollution, uncontrolled industrial expansion and wider social and economic challenges. Public consultation and recommendations from the Environment Protection Department were being incorporated into the planning process. Punjab EPA Director Fouzia Akram briefed participants on smog, pollution and related concerns, while environmental experts Aleem Butt and Rafay Alam discussed the causes of pollution and measures to address them. Architect and Lahore Bachao Tehreek member Kamil Khan Mumtaz spoke about different stages of the master planning process. He said the work was proceeding with the global environmental crisis in view and described a prosperous Lahore that remained a centre of civilisation as a primary objective of the Master Plan 2050. Participants were further informed that culture, parks, greenery, agriculture, drainage and water requirements formed part of the framework, allowing future urban and residential development to be considered alongside the infrastructure and services needed to support it. LDA and Environment Protection Department officials, consultants, stakeholders, residents and students attended the hearing. Consultants answered questions from residents and students during the concluding session.

Al Ghani Garden’s Head of REC and Sales, Wajahat Ali Khan, has said that under the “Al-Ghani Tahaffuz Plan”, outstanding instalments will be waived if a person purchasing a plot or file on instalments dies during the repayment period, and the plot will be transferred to the buyer’s legal heirs. Speaking to ReNews Pakistan, he said the initiative was intended to preserve a family’s dream of owning a home after the buyer’s death. According to Khan, surviving family members would not be burdened with the remaining instalments if the buyer died before completing payments. Asked whether heirs would be required to pay any further instalments following the buyer’s death, Khan reiterated that all remaining instalments would be waived and the plot handed over to the legal heirs. He claimed that other housing societies had not introduced a comparable facility, adding that such initiatives distinguished Al-Ghani Garden from other developments. Khan also referred to the construction of a mosque inspired by the architectural design of Al-Aqsa Mosque. He said Al-Ghani Garden residents would be able to offer prayers there in the future.