December 03, 2025
By Iqra Manzoor
Lahore
“Saans lene do!” — let us breathe — slogans rang high in the air today as civil society and students gathered at Lahore’s historic Nasser Bagh to protest against the transplantation of 123 trees and the construction of an underground parking plaza.
Lahore’s historic Nasser Bagh, a green sanctuary in the heart of the city, and a venue for countless protests, student movements, and political gatherings, has become the site of a new demonstration. Civil society organisations including the Lahore Conservation Society, Ravi Bachao Tehreek, and Progressive Students Collective, along with students from Government College University, Punjab University, and the National College of Arts, gathered today to oppose the transplantation of at least 123 trees and the construction of an underground parking plaza at the British-era garden.
Imrana Tiwana, President of the Lahore Conservation Society, told Voicepk.
“Lahore is grappling with a health emergency and has long been known for its culture and gardens. Our focus should be on implementing a green master plan rather than disturbing the few remaining gardens. The city once had around 700 gardens, of which 80% have been lost. Trees provide us with oxygen — that is how we breathe — and we must protect them. We urge the government not to erase green spaces to construct parking plazas. We have suggested solutions: a comprehensive master plan for parks that connects them with pedestrian networks. Parking plazas can be built, but only in areas where there is no greenery.”
Abuzar Madhu, leader of Lahore Bachao Tehreek, said:
“Lahore is a city of gardens, yet we are breathing poisonous air. Our children lack clean air and water, and now the government is constructing a parking plaza in this park. The concrete will destroy the park’s sensitive ecology. Our protest is against this parking plaza. This park is our heritage and identity — a place where students and citizens have gathered for decades. We say: Saade bagh ny bagh rehn deo.”
Haider Butt, Advocate High Court, added:
“Civil society, students, and lawyers have gathered here to protest against the concrete being poured into the park and the trees being uprooted for this parking plaza. Nasser Bagh is of immense historical importance — freedom fighters like Bhagat Singh and Lala Lajpat Rai held political rallies here, and the park played a key role in the 1947 freedom movement. It is a site where people have always expressed their demands, students have held study circles, and ordinary citizens have enjoyed the greenery. Today, they are being stopped from entering the park to protest, even though it is their constitutional right.”
All protesters also demanded justice, stressing that Nasser Bagh is public property for the people. They argued that they never require permission to enter the park but were being restricted today, which they say violates their constitutional right to protest.
Protesters argue that this move threatens one of Lahore’s last public green lungs, risking both ecological stability and the city’s historical memory.
A city debating its future
The Rs1.63 billion underground parking plaza project is being executed by the Traffic Engineering and Transport Planning Agency (Tepa) under the Lahore Development Authority (LDA). Officials argue that the facility will ease congestion, reduce smog, and provide a structured alternative to unregulated street parking. They insist the project is part of necessary environmental planning.
However, critics argue that infrastructure cannot replace ecology, especially when 123 mature trees and historic water structures have already been relocated or removed.
Heritage meets concrete
Nasser Bagh, historically known as Band Stand Garden and later Gol Bagh, has evolved alongside Lahore itself. Nestled between GCU, Old Anarkali, and Urdu Bazaar, it has hosted political rallies, literary events, student movements, and family outings. Its ponds, fountains, shaded pathways, and old trees represent both ecological breath and historical continuity.
For many, the parking plaza project threatens both.
From restoration to excavation
Just a year ago, the Punjab government celebrated the successful restoration of Nasser Bagh, promising new grass beds, fountains, and lighting to “transform Lahore into a city of gardens and flowers.”
Conservationist Dr. Ajaz Anwar, founding member of the Lahore Conservation Society, has called for strong resistance, warning that relocation of mature trees in winter carries high mortality risks.
Lahore’s wider tree crisis
The controversy reflects broader concerns over mature tree loss in Lahore. In October 2025, Voicepk reported the felling of a 150-year-old banyan tree in Lahore Cantt despite court orders. Environmentalists called it a “criminal act,” highlighting the ongoing tension between urban development and preservation of green heritage.
Human rights and environmental concerns
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) condemned the Nasser Bagh project, saying the mature trees represent an irreplaceable environmental and cultural asset. They urged authorities to halt felling immediately, ensure transparency, and uphold environmental safeguards.
Defense from Tepa and the transplant team
Chief Engineer Iqrar Hussain insists that no mature trees were felled — only young saplings were relocated under supervision of horticulture specialists and the NGO Save the Tree.
Khawaja Mazhar Iqbal, head of Save the Trees, told Voicepk that nearly 100 plants were carefully relocated, following international transplantation standards, and that ongoing monitoring is in place. He added that design changes preserved 20 large trees and that such projects can coexist with heritage preservation if executed systematically.
Despite these assurances, environmentalists remain cautious about winter transplantation and the long-term survival of trees.
Judicial scrutiny
On November 28, the Lahore High Court ordered a judicial commission and PHA to inspect the site, stressing that Nasser Bagh’s historical layout must be preserved. Justice Shahid Karim noted that parking needs cannot justify irreversible ecological loss.
A symbol of a larger struggle
With rapid urban expansion, worsening smog, and groundwater depletion, Nasser Bagh has become emblematic of Lahore’s struggle to protect its green lungs. Protesters maintain that trees do not grow overnight, and history cannot be restored once erased.