Daily Times

LAHORE –TheLahore High Court on Tuesdaydisposed of petitions challenging construction of small coalpower project near BRB Canal in Lahore after being told thatthe Punjab government had withdrawn notification for the purpose.

The three-member bench comprising Justice Mamoon RashidSheikh, Justice Faisal Zaman and Justice Shahid Kareem washearing the petitions filed by the Lahore Press Club, Mohsin Bilal, SajidMahmood, Mushtaq Ahmad Butt and others.

During the hearing, a provincial law officer and Energy Department Additional Secretary Liaqat Ali appeared before the bench and submitted that the government had stopped the project and withdrawn the land acquisition notification for the purpose.

At this, the three-member bench disposed of the petitions.The petitioners through their petitions submitted thatthe provincial authorities had issued a notification foracquiring land in Khaira and Sultanpura areas to establish asmall coal power project.

They said it was a residential area and more than 1.2 million people lived there.The petitioners said the coal power project would be harmful for the health of residents of the area and for the environment. They also said the acquisition of land had violated their fundamental rights.

The petitioners requested the court to declare the acquisition of land and the plan to set up a coal power plant in a residential area illegal.