ISLAMABAD – The Supreme Court on Monday suspended the ruling of the Lahore High Court (LHC) to scrape the Ravi Riverfront Urban Development project.
The apex court issued the ruling while hearing appeals against the annulment of the project by LHC on January 25 due to lack of a master plan.
The bench has allowed the Punjab government to restart working on the project that is close to the heart of Prime Minister Imran Khan.
During the hearing, Justice Ijazul Ahsan rebuked the counsel for the Punjab government for appearing before the court unprepared.
On Saturday, the Punjab government approached the top court against the LHC verdict.
The provincial government, in its plea, stated that all rules and regulations were followed before starting the project. The plea prayed the court to set aside the verdict of the high court.
Following the annulment of the project, the premier on Friday announced that the government will move the Supreme Court against the verdict.
The premier stated this while talking to media during his visit to Rakh Jhok Jungle at Sheikhupura. He said that the case would be presented in a better manner to apprise the court about the significance of the project.
He rejected a misconception that the Ravi Urban project is a housing society, adding that the mega development project would address the faults in the wake of unplanned construction of the city.
Terming the project crucial for the Punjab’s capital, he believed that it will be the second planned city after Islamabad.
He said that project will not only create job opportunities but also help tackle the climate change.
On Janaury 25, LHC declared the Ravi Riverfort Urban Development Project (RRUDP), a mega development project in the provincial capital, illegal.
The high court issued the ruling on petitions filed by farmers, challenging the government’s land acquisition procedure for RRUDP.
It also declared Section 4 of the Ravi Urban Development Authority (amendment) Ordinance 2021 unlawful and unconstitutional, stating that the said sections are in violation of Article 144 of the Constitution of Pakistan.
The court remarked that the government acquired the land in clear violation of Land Acquisition Act, 1894, adding: “Lahore and Sheikhupura failed to abide by the law in the land acquisition”.
LHC highlighted that since Ravi urban project’s master plan is the basic document, all the schemes should be execuated under the master plan as per the law.
“Hence, any scheme worked upon without [being included in] the master plan is illegal,” the court said.
The court has ordered the Authority to return the money it had received from the government within two months to acquire land for the project.
Ravi Riverfront Urban Development project The Ravi Urban Development Authority was inaugurated by Prime Minister Imran Khan in August 2020.
