The Lahore High Court declared the Ravi Urban Development Amendment Ordinance null and void, holding that the acquisition of land under Section IV is illegal.
In his decision on petitions against the Ravi River Urban Project launched by Prime Minister Imran Khan, Judge Shahid Karim ruled that plans without a master plan were illegal.
The court mentioned that farmland could only be acquired by following applicable law and added that in this case the 1894 law had been violated. The RUDA master plan was drawn up without consulting the local administration.
In November last year, the court stopped the Ravi Urban Development Authority (RUDA) from acquiring more land for its flagship project until farmers challenged the 1894 land law.
Justice Karim pointed out that since the RRUDP master plan is the basic document, all projects must be under the master plan. Meanwhile, the court ordered the Authority to return the money it had obtained from the government within two months.
According to reports, petitions filed by Sheraz Zaka, Ahmad Rafay Alam and others on behalf of farmers questioned the manner and form of land acquisition procedures undertaken by the Ravi Urban Development Authority (RUDA).
The project has come under criticism that it is leading to widespread land grabbing that could displace thousands of farmers from the area.
