The Lahore High Court on Friday sought a reply from Director General Lahore Development Authority (LDA) within fortnight on a petition challenging its regulations for permitting high rise buildings.

Residents of Johar Town filed the petition against sanction granted for an eight-floor apartment building on the main Canal Road without a NOC from the neighbours.

Barrister Ahmad Qayyum on behalf of the petitioners argued that the LDA Building and Zoning Regulations 2019 violated the fundamental rights of petitioners including the right to privacy of home.

He said the apartment building was in fact a commercial activity and could not be sanctioned on residential plots.

He said height zones were required to set up after public consultation and only thereafter sanctions could have been granted. He said without following the procedure under law, sanctions had been granted to various parties, which was illegal.

The counsel argued that the LDA while passing the sanction acted with material irregularities in the exercise of jurisdiction.

He, therefore, asked the court to declare the impugned regulations illegal and violative to the fundamental rights of the neighbours including their right to privacy.

This report was first published in Business Recorder on February 12, 2022.