A number of residents of Model Town Society in Lahore have been
battling in the Lahore High Court for the past year over the
‘commercialisation’ by Makro-Habib of 80 kanals (10 acres) of a garden
plot in their society.
Quoted hereunder is an excerpt from the November 11, 2006,
observations of the learned single judge, Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed,
in the judgment handed down in the writ petition dealing with the
issue:
“Similarly it was also stressed very vehemently that the proposed
project constitutes economic growth and will bring financial benefit
to the country, city and the locality. In this behalf, suffice it to
say that no doubt foreign investment is to be encouraged but foreign
investors are not above the law and must conform to laws of the land
and must necessarily also exhibit sensitivity to the rights and
privileges of the inhabitants of the area. The learned counsel for the
petitioner has rightly drawn the distinction between growth and
development. The two concepts are not synonymous and all growth must
be measured against the collateral damage accrued thereby. Even
otherwise, growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of a cancer
cell.”
History will record the growth of various forms of ‘cancer’ in our
society.
from: http://readerlist.freeflux.net/blog/archive/2007/02/26/reader-list-shehri.html
Letters to the Editor: (www.dailytimes.com.pk)
Scam
Sir: I was shocked to read the story about the Model Town scam (Daily Times, February 23). I am not concerned with the monetary value of the lease but there is no justification for a warehouse being built in the vicinity. Model Town has already suffered from unchecked commercialisation, but this incident takes the cake. The citizens of this country should protest against such violations and the city and provincial governments should put a stop to such activities.
S KARIM
Via email
Scam II
Sir: With reference to the Rs 4 billion Model Town scam, I want to point out that nowhere in the world are warehouse facilities developed in the centre of the city. This is an obvious case of greed and corruption where the interests of many are ignored for those of a few. As I understand it, Model Town society will lose approximately Rs 2.7 billion over the next 30 years. The rationale for this is that if this land is sold for roughly Rs 2 billion and the money put in a fixed deposit scheme, the money earned over the next 30 years will be much more than the amount the company currently wants to pay the society.
RACHEL
Via email
Scam III
Sir: As a Model Town resident I am extremely concerned about why expensive commercial land is being leased out to a multinational. The prices of residential plots in Model Town are approximately Rs 15 million per kanal whereas the price of commercial plots is around Rs 60 million per kanal. According to the Model Town Society (MTS) bylaws such a step can’t be taken without the consent of the general body, and so far this has not been done. Moreover MTS is overseen and run by elected residents and the Punjab government cannot force its decision on it.
If a warehouse is set up in a residential area measuring 100,000 square feet, imagine the increased traffic congestion and pollution in the area. Warehouses in other countries are usually located away from residential areas for these very reasons. As residents of Model Town, we cannot tolerate any scheme that is not in our interests and will spoil the beauty and calm of our neighbourhood.
USMAN HAQ
Lahore
Scam IV
Sir: This is in reference to the Model Town scam. Model Town was designed and established as a model colony before independence and the MTS is registered under the Cooperative Societies Act. It renders municipal services to its members and functions under its own byelaws and the Cooperative Societies Act.
The handing over of 80 kanals of land to a private party is not in the interests of the members and is against the master plan of the town. Management has decided to hand over the land to a private party without the approval of the managing committee, the general body or the supreme body. Further, approval from the registrar of cooperative societies also hasn’t been taken as required under cooperative law. We can’t let the residents of our colony bear the costs of this scam.
MIAN FEROZ SALAHUDDIN
Lahore
Karachi: disregard of all that is proper; Army Welfare Trust and Makro-Habib grabbed yet another garden plot ! « model town blog said,
July 11, 2009 @ 10:07 pm
[...] posts: “growth” is the ideology of a cancer cell. Commercialisation worries Model Town residents Lahore High Court issued a stay order against the [...]
David Nelson said,
June 13, 2008 @ 8:08 am
model town is known to be a flourished housing authority
please don’t destroy it.
Noor Naveed said,
May 21, 2008 @ 11:10 am
I am against this decision…Miaqnj amer shall die in hell !!!
Petition against installation of tower « model town blog said,
February 29, 2008 @ 12:39 am
[...] “growth” is the ideology of a cancer cell. [...]
kashif said,
December 6, 2007 @ 5:13 am
sorry to say but makro construction has already begun in model town,,,but model town is no longer a “model” town anymore.soon with increasing commercialisation the model town will become a polluted unliveable town,already the air quality in model town is as bad as inner lahore city due to more than 100 schools colleges and car workshops.
when you make a corrupt army guy like kardar the head of model town society than what good can you expect?
anyway any peace loving citizen will now leave model town due to pollution and commercialisation here
Nasir said,
July 2, 2007 @ 3:31 am
Dear Residents, Let us not blame Amer Mehmood or the Chief Minister Punjab, for being involved in such a heinous crime of destroying such a beautiful Town.Let us ask them to use all their connections and power to stop this town from being ruined, so they can prove that they are the real sons of the land as they claim.anybody siding with the commercialisation in this town should be declared criminal by the residents.
S.Nasir
Houston.Texas
Shahid said,
July 1, 2007 @ 10:36 pm
As an old resident of Model Town (D-Block) I feel concerned about this criminal act of the mafia ruling Model Town, who intend to destroy this beautful garden town. I request the President of Pakistan to stop his cronies from making money out of destroying such beautiful housing schemes. Living in USA I know that The Chief Minister,Punjab Amer Mehmood and other such crooks are involved in this deal. Or is it a too small issue for the already troubled President to look into.
SHAHID
USA
Jawad Butt said,
July 1, 2007 @ 10:18 pm
Iam glad that the Lahore High Court has stayed the construction of the Makro store in Model Town, Lahore. I have lived in Model Town for almost half my life and I pity whatever is going on in Pakistan but mostly this criminal act of destroying such a beautiful area by putting up a store of that size.Makro has a policy of making their warehouses 25 kilometers outside the cities. In London they also have a store which is located in the outskirts of the city. There must be a very big cover-up in the acquisition of land in the middle of the town and lot of cash must have changed hands in changing the policy of such a prestigious organisation.
Jawad Butt
London
Miss Shahzay said,
July 1, 2007 @ 9:57 pm
I was shocked to hear that the management of Model Society has permitted MAKRO to open a warehouse in the heart of the most prestigious residential society of Pakistan surely the higher ups of the Government are involved in money making from this scam. Why don’t we ask the MAKRO people that what has led them to break their own rules by making a warehouse in the mid of a residential area or do they often twist laws in the third world countries.
SHAHZAY
SHEFFIELD UNIVERSITY
U.K
Hussain F.Salahuddin said,
July 1, 2007 @ 9:25 pm
Residents and all concerned: Please wakeup to this unjust decision by the management of the society to destroy the most well planned residential society in asia for merely making a quick buck. We the youngsters of this residential area must protest to this land mafiaso act as we are going to be the real losers in the shady deal.Please wake up before it is too late, and tell these martians that they cannot do this to the children of Model Town. Nowhere in the world commercial activity of such size and nature is permitted in the residential areas.We should pinpoint individuals who want to make money out of it and destroy our future.
HUSSAIN F. SALAHUDDIN
Model Town resident