The Lahore High Court (LHC) has made a significant ruling by declaring the Faisalabad Master Plan illegal. Presided over by Justice Shahid Karim, the case prompted the court to appoint a consultant to assess the plan’s environmental impact. Highlighting a crucial procedural flaw, the court emphasized the necessity of obtaining a Non-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the environment department before formulating such plans.
This decision comes amidst revelations of widespread corruption linked to the approval of the Faisalabad Master Plan. Former officials, including Mian Waris Aziz and Zahid Ikram, are accused of causing substantial financial losses to national funds by accepting bribes to illegally convert agricultural land into commercial zones.
Zahid Ikram, who later served as DG Multan Development Authority, allegedly manipulated the master plan with the help of a middleman, Honey Shehzad. Despite efforts by anti-corruption authorities to apprehend Zahid Ikram, he managed to evade arrest. However, cases have been filed against both Waris Aziz and Zahid Ikram, marking a significant development in the fight against corruption in urban development projects.
