Ravi Riverfront Development Project: Supreme Court allows Punjab govt to go ahead with project

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday permitted the Punjab government to go ahead with its Ravi Riverfront Development Project after suspending the Lahore High Court (LHC) verdict declaring the project as illegal.

A two-member bench of the apex court comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsen and Justice Mazahir Ali Akbar Naqvi suspended the LHC verdict and allowed the Punjab government to continue with its project. The apex court on Monday admitted for regularhearing appeals challenging the LHC verdict and issued notices to the parties concerned. If there is a possibility of filing an intra-court appeal (ICA), the matter would be remanded back to high court, the court held.

During the course of hearing, the court raised some legal questions over the matter, but Punjab Advocate General Ahmed Awais along with legal team of the provincial government could not answer the court’s questions satisfactorily. “Tell us as to what is your case?” Justice Ahesn asked the Punjab AG.

Justice Mazahir Ali Akbar Naqvi observed that it seemed the AG came to court unprepared. Justice Ijazul Ahsen, however, observed some 18 petitions were before the LHC in the matter so it did not matter if the provincial government was not a party in one case.

Ahmed Awais, however, contended that the petitions filed before the LHC were against the public hearing of the environment agency. “So don’t give wrong statement before us,” Justice Ahsen told the provincial legal team.

The court further noted in its order when it raised question as to why an Intra Court Appeal was not filed against the LHC order, the provincial government contended that it did not because the actual forum for getting relief was the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, the court adjourned the hearing after directing all the parties to submit additional documents before it. The high court had held that the master plan of Ravi Riverfront Urban Development Project is the basic document and under the law, all schemes are subject to the master plan. The court in its order had stated that Section 4 of the RUDA Amendment Ordinance contradicts Article 144-A of the Constitution.

Even the ordinance also failed to meet the requirements of the Constitution”, The LHC had observed adding that agricultural land can be acquired only when there is a regular legal framework but the land acquired for the project is in violation of the 1894 Act. The court had also declared the acquisition notification under Section 4 as illegal.

Special Adviser to Chief Minister Hassan Khawar on Monday welcomed the Supreme Court judgment on the Ravi Urban Project and said courts are highly respectable for them. Addressing a press conference at the Multan Press Club, he said the PTI has always respected the decisions of the institutions. The problems of the Lahore city have to be understood.

The city of Lahore grew awkwardly, he said. No city in Pakistan after Islamabad has been planned. Forty years later, a new city was planned, he added. Khawar said the Ravi Urban Project is a Rs 20 billion project. This project will create millions of jobs. Thirty industries will benefit from the project. The project will include seven forests and eight water treatment plants. He said the opposition is always in the middle of a deal. Nawaz Sharif does not want to come to Pakistan without any guarantee.

He said CM Usman Buzdar's government launched Rs 360 billion projects. The PPP does not want to quit the Sindh government. Health cards will be issued in Multan from February 22. The budget of South Punjab will not be used anywhere else as South Punjab was ignored in the past. He requested media houses to increase the salaries of journalists.