January 2, 2025
By Iqra Manzoor
LAHORE
The legal challenge against the controversial underground parking project at Lahore’s historic Nasser Bagh remains stalled, raising alarm among environmentalists and citizens as construction continues despite unresolved objections.
A writ petition filed on December 24 sought an urgent stay on the project, but the Lahore High Court has yet to hear it. Multiple scheduled hearings were cancelled or deferred, and with the start of court holidays, the case was effectively postponed. Petitioners warn that the delay could allow irreversible damage before the court reaches a decision.
The petition describes the delay as a serious constitutional concern, noting that ignoring urgent environmental matters may violate several fundamental rights, including Article 4 (right to be treated according to law), Article 9 (right to life, including a clean and healthy environment), Article 9A (right to clean air and environmental protection), and Article 14 (citizens’ dignity).
Nasser Bagh is not empty land but a historic public garden forming part of Lahore’s ecological and cultural identity. Converting it into a parking plaza, the petition argues, would erode public green spaces, biodiversity, and the city’s ecosystem, violating environmental laws, constitutional principles, and court precedents recognizing public trust over natural resources.
The petition has been signed and supported by a wide coalition of civil society organisations, environmental groups, architects, academics, and concerned citizens. Groups include the Lahore Conservation Society, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), Ravi Bachao Tehreek, Progressive Students Collective, WWF Pakistan, and the Institute of Architects Pakistan. Their collective intervention reflects growing public concern over the fate of one of Lahore’s last historic green spaces.
Expert panel calls project unfit
A judicial commission, led by Justice Shahid Karim, reviewed the project with technical, environmental, and planning experts. The commission found the proposed underground parking facility unsuitable as both a planning solution and a response to Lahore’s traffic or parking challenges.
The experts emphasized that any Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) must consider alternative sites outside Nasser Bagh. Ignoring these findings, petitioners argue, raises serious concerns about transparency, good faith, and compliance with earlier judicial processes.
Architect and urban conservation expert Raza Ali Dada, a board member of the Lahore Conservation Society, described the delay as deeply troubling.
“The case has been delayed even though it was filed for urgent hearing. Nasser Bagh is a public park that belongs to the people of Lahore. Its protection should be a priority.”
Dada stressed the ecological importance of mature trees, which cannot be replaced simply by replanting elsewhere.
“Mature trees stabilize soil and support biodiversity. Moving or replanting them elsewhere disturbs the entire ecological system. Authorities may think trees have been replanted, but ecology is not just landscaping.”
He also raised concerns over the provincial government’s environmental commitments.
“The government recently presented itself as environmentally responsible at COP30. Yet on the ground, it is replacing one of Lahore’s last green spaces with concrete.”
Public protests and civil society opposition
The controversy erupted after at least 123 trees were transplanted and historic water structures dismantled to make way for the Rs1.63 billion underground parking plaza, executed by the Traffic Engineering and Transport Planning Agency (Tepa) under the Lahore Development Authority (LDA).
Officials argue that the project will ease traffic congestion around Lower Mall, reduce smog, and provide safer parking. They claim no mature trees were felled, only young saplings were relocated under expert supervision. Critics counter that infrastructure cannot replace ecology, particularly in a city already struggling with smog, rising temperatures, and groundwater depletion.
On December 2, students and civil society groups, including the Lahore Conservation Society, Ravi Bachao Tehreek, and Progressive Students Collective, staged protests at Nasser Bagh. Slogans like “Saans lene do” — let us breathe — echoed through the historic garden, expressing anger over shrinking green spaces.
Imrana Tiwana, President of the Lahore Conservation Society, told Voicepk, “Lahore is already facing a public health and environmental emergency. Our focus should be on a green master plan, not destroying the few remaining gardens. Parking plazas can be built in areas without greenery, not inside a historic park.”
Abuzar Madhu of Ravi Bachao Tehreek also warned of impacts.
“The concrete will permanently damage the park’s sensitive ecology. This is our heritage and identity — a space where students and citizens have gathered for decades.”
Historical and ecological value at risk
HRCP has described the park’s mature tree cover as an “irreplaceable environmental and cultural asset” and called on authorities to halt tree felling, disclose project approvals, and comply with environmental safeguards.
“Nasser Bagh’s historical character and original layout must be preserved,” Justice Shahid Karim said when ordering a judicial commission and the Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) to inspect the site.
Environmentalists warn that if construction continues during court delays, judicial oversight may become ineffective by the time legal clarity is reached.
A contested project
Officials maintain that the project is necessary to ease traffic congestion and improve parking facilities. Tepa insists that only young saplings were relocated under expert supervision. Critics argue that replacing green spaces with infrastructure ignores the ecological and public health needs of a city already struggling with air pollution, smog, and rising temperatures.
The controversy has sparked wider debate on urban planning in Lahore, highlighting a tension between rapid development and preservation of green spaces, culture, and public health.
Judicial scrutiny continues
For many in Lahore, Nasser Bagh has become a symbol of the struggle between development and preservation. Petitioners and protesters warn: once lost, its history and ecology cannot be restored.
“Trees do not grow overnight, and history does not return once erased,” Dada said, summarizing public concerns about the irreversible impact of the project.