City and District Real Estate News

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) is considering a ground-plus-one-storey design for the historic Siraj Covered Market in G-6, following a hearing attended by the leaseholder, local residents and CDA representatives. The proposal also allows a lower-ground level and a basement for parking.

A CDA official said the matter would be placed before the authority’s Board for final approval. The minutes of the latest hearing have not yet been issued, so the proposed design has not been formally approved.
The market was originally built by the CDA as a single-storey, inward-facing structure and leased to Sirajuddin and others in 1966. The first lease term was 30 years, followed by a second term that ended in October 2026.

In 2007, the CDA changed the building rules to allow a multi-storey structure on the site. The leaseholder demolished the original market, but residents challenged the redevelopment and took the matter to the Supreme Court. The court restrained the authority from changing the bylaws, and the plot has since remained vacant.
The CDA later considered several redevelopment options, including a larger multi-storey building. Residents opposed those plans, and the authority held consultations before revisiting the proposal.

The latest plan reflects the outcome of those discussions, but it will take effect only if approved by the CDA Board.

The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has invited objections to applications for duplicate exemption letters for seven plots in its housing schemes, according to a public notice published in Dunya on November 10.

One application concerns Plot 381 in Block D, Johar Town. The original exemption letter, reference JT/AP-363-M1, dated April 13, 1995, has reportedly been lost. The LDA has asked any person or institution with an objection to submit it within seven days of the notice’s publication. Objections received after the deadline will not be considered.
The notice also lists six plots covered by the LDA’s procedure for duplicate exemption letters relating to documents issued before June 30, 1999. These are Plot 126 in Block F, Gulshan-e-Ravi; Plot 542 in Block C, Faisal Town; Plots 437 in Nargis Block, 34 in Chenab Block and 172 in Badar Block, Allama Iqbal Town; and Plot 928 in Shadman.

The LDA said objections concerning any of the listed plots should be submitted in writing to the Deputy Director (Exemption), Lahore Development Authority, 467-D-II, Main Boulevard, Muhammad Ali Johar Town, Lahore.

The procedure follows the authority’s policy on older documents and its standard operating procedure issued on October 30, 2015.