LHC dismisses petitions against Murree Mall Road project

MURREE: The Rawalpindi Bench of the Lahore High Court has dismissed all eight petitions filed by traders and residents challenging the Murree Mall Road Remodeling and Beautification Project.

Justice Tariq Mahmood Bajwa upheld the project and ruled that the acquisition of 20 kanals of land for the scheme was lawful. The court also permitted the government to proceed with the project.

The verdict had been reserved after arguments were heard last week. In its ruling, the court said the government has the authority under the Constitution and the law to acquire land for public projects.

The judgment further observed that the beautification of Murree, described in the ruling as an international tourist destination, falls within the powers of the Punjab government.

The petitions had been filed by traders and local residents who opposed the project. The petitioners argued that ancestral land could only be acquired for public welfare purposes and maintained that beautification did not meet that standard.

However, the court rejected that contention and upheld the legality of the land acquisition carried out for the Murree Mall Road Remodeling and Beautification Project.

Project cleared to continue

With the dismissal of all eight petitions, the legal challenge to the project has been set aside at the Rawalpindi Bench of the Lahore High Court, allowing the government to continue work on the initiative.

The ruling affirms the provincial government’s position that land can be acquired for projects undertaken in the public interest under constitutional and legal provisions. It also endorses the government’s authority to carry out beautification work in Murree.

The case centered on 20 kanals of land acquired for the project. The petitioners had sought to challenge both the acquisition and the nature of the scheme, arguing that the land in question was ancestral property and that the stated purpose of beautification did not amount to public welfare.

Justice Tariq Mahmood Bajwa’s decision, however, found in favour of the project and cleared the way for its continuation.

The Murree Mall Road Remodeling and Beautification Project had faced opposition from sections of the local trading community and residents, but the court’s ruling has now upheld the government’s legal authority to move ahead with it.