Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday stayed the conversion of the recreational park at the Journalist Housing Scheme, Harbanspura, into a residential area by carving out plots for 295 newly inducted members of the Lahore Press Club (LPC).

The judge remarked that prima facie a bar existed on converting the land allocated for a park into residential plots. The judge also issued notice for February 11 to managing director of the Punjab Journalist Housing Foundation (managerial body of the scheme) as well as all the members of the outgoing elected body of the LPC.

The judge issued notice on a petition by LPC member Din Muhammad Dard. The petitioner’s counsel submitted that the LPC, to accommodate its members, wanted to convert the recreational park into a residential area. He submitted that even the allotment forms for the plots had been distributed among a number of new members.

He submitted that this decision was based on mala fide intention and also illegal as once fixed for developing a park, the land could not be used for any other purpose. He requested the court to declare this decision as illegal.