LAHORE | Progress News & Updates [Archive] - Page 2

Sania

April 5th, 2006, 06:40 AM

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

From Pakistan with love

* LGS, Convent, Aitchison, Beaconhouse and SOS students sign the ‘golden strip’ to be sent back to India
* World’s largest love letter displayed at Gaddafi Stadium

By Maria Amir

LAHORE: “It seems that the only logical conclusion for peace is to look for it in children, the message is so simple that it just might ring true,” said Maria Durana, a partner with ‘friends without borders’, the leading organisation behind the “World’s largest love letter.”

The letter, which has travelled throughout India, collecting the sentiments and hopes of Indian children from various schools, districts and even remote villages has finally reached its recipients and the gesture is now being returned with equal enthusiasm. Hundreds of children from schools all over Lahore have signed the ‘golden strip’ in the letter, which is now being referred to as ‘the golden bridge for peace’. The 86,400 square foot letter (360 feet by 249 feet) was first unveiled in Bangalore on January 16 and has since travelled throughout India, growing in both size and sentiment.

Individual pieces of the letter were separated into banners and marched down the streets of Ahmedabad by children from different faiths including children from mosques, synagogues, churches and temples throughout the city.

The letter-head message reads, “Dear children of Pakistan, let’s join our hearts in friendship. Together we can make a better world.”

Students from Lahore Grammar School, the Convent of Jesus and Mary, Aitchison College for Boys, Beaconhouse and SOS village were among the hundreds of children who gathered at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore today to sign the golden strip, which would be returned to India. Children painted posters and chanted slogans of peace for hours, also joining in a song composed for the occasion, linking both countries in a united quest for friendship. “We hope for a lasting friendship with our Indian brothers and sisters and we hope that this letter would help us make friends,” said Ali Raza from SOS village.

“I think this is the best gift from India and hope that we can get more and more signatures and letters to show how much love we have for our Indian brothers and sisters,” said Aaliya Durrani, a student from Lahore Grammar School.

“This letter shows how much love there can be between the two countries if we could only learn to choose friendship over enmity and peace over war. We should tell people in India that we are willing to do so,” said Nosheen Sadiq, another Grammar School student.

Messages such as, “East or west, cant we both be the best?” by Priya from Chandigarh and, “To my brothers and sisters in Pakistan - all we need is ‘real’ friendship, if it is ‘real’ it will last through anything” by K Sathya Murti from St Joseph’s Indian Middle School in Bangalore showed honest emotions are all it really takes to break boundaries.

“The aim of this exercise is to promote person-to-person contact through schools and Friends Without Borders. We have received 11,000 letters from Indian children so far and hope Pakistani children will reciprocate their gesture,” said Maria Durana.

“It is impossible to not be moved by this unprecedented gesture of peace, which is proving to be more powerful than most others in the past,” said Saad Anwar, a visitor. “The millions of scribbled and scrawled emotions that this letter carries leads one to believe that the apathy that exists between both countries may actually be resolved and that children may be ‘just’ the ones to do it.”

“We aim to take the golden strip of the letter back to India as the response from Pakistan, and the rest of the letter which is made from canvas and is durable, will be sent as tent material to the October 8 earthquake victims. The 196 pieces of the border to the letter will be sent to different schools in Pakistan as souvenirs to encourage contact between students of both countries,” said Raza Shahid, a volunteer.

The letter, which may be listed as the largest card in the Guinness Book of World Records, has fast assumed the proportions of a massive campaign. With a documentary film by award winning filmmaker Gopi Desai underway, a book-deal with Mapin Publishing and an army of volunteers, the organisation hopes to launch a movement for peace among children of both countries.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\04\05\story_5-4-2006_pg13_9

Sania

April 5th, 2006, 06:45 AM

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

Cabinet decides to construct Lahore Sialkot motorway

* Agrees on modern sports city in Lahore, take action against fake medicines, breathe life into price control committees

Staff Report

LAHORE: The Punjab cabinet met on Tuesday and decided to construct a motorway between Lahore and Sialkot and a modern sports city in Lahore, take action against fake medicine and breathe life into the provincial and district price control committees. Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi chaired the meeting.

Elahi said a six-lane motorway between Lahore and Sialkot (two important industrial centres of the Punjab) would give impetus to economic activity in the province. He said the proposed motorway would pass through Gujranwala and would be linked to Gujrat, Wazirabad, Muridke and other industrial centres.

Elahi also said the motorway would be called Shahrah-e-Sanat and would reduce the distance between Lahore and Sialkot to 45 minutes. He said similar projects would be initiated after the motorway’s completion, which would be in 2007. He said the project would facilitate the export of products manufactured or harvested in the province and would have a positive impact on Pakistan’s economy.

Referring to the manufacture and sale of fake medicine, the chief minister asked authorities concerned to punish people involved in the illegal act. He also ordered raids against locations where fake medicine was manufactured and sold.

He said drug stores and pharmacies selling fake medicine were equally guilty. He also asked officials concerned to implement laws regulating the sale of medicine and to cancel the licenses of stores operating under the name of only one qualified dispenser. He also said government hospitals should buy medicines from firms that guaranteed the authenticity of medicine.

He asked for the reactivation of price control committees to stabilise the prices of essential commodities. He said such committees headed by district nazims were being reconstituted and would meet daily. Elahi also said he would personally look over the committees’ reports and monitor their performance.

About the provision of health facilities to the public, the chief minister said the Punjab government was spending Rs 6 billion for the purpose and a major share of the money would be spent in the rural areas. He said that because of better facilities being provided to doctors in the rural areas the number of people willing to work there had increased. He also said 25 additional marks would be given to doctors appearing in the Public Service Commission interviews who had served in villages for two years. The meeting also decided to medically check all school-going children twice a year so that diseases could be diagnosis early.

The cabinet also approved setting up a sports city spread over 3,000 acres in Lahore and decided to spend about Rs 30 billion on the project, which would be undertaken through foreign investment under public-private partnership. The meeting was also told that people with experience in constructing sports centres in Dubai and other locations abroad would be hired for the project. Elahi said that with the sports centre Pakistan would be able to hold Asian games and other international competitions.

The meeting also decided to award proprietary rights to the residents of Harbanspura village. Land would be allotted at Rs 600,000 per kanal to those living on 10-marlas of land. The chief minister would give away the proprietary rights papers to the residents at a public function soon. The meeting also prayed for deceased MPA Haji Muhammad Tahir.

Home | National

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\04\05\story_5-4-2006_pg7_33

Sania

April 6th, 2006, 07:04 AM

Thursday, April 06, 2006

American film festival begins at NCA

LAHORE: The American Film Festival organised by the US Consulate in Lahore and NCA started at NCA with the screening of Charlie Chaplin’s ‘The Gold rush’ on Wednesday. US Consulate Principal Officer Brian Heath said at the festival’s inaugural ceremony, “It was a pleasure to organise the film festival at the National College of Arts, an institution with a history in promoting visual and performing arts in Pakistan. The festival was one of the programmes the US Consulate and NCA had co-sponsored over the decades.” staff report

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Sania

April 6th, 2006, 07:12 AM

Thursday, April 06, 2006

LDA pays landowner after 27 years

LAHORE: A landowner has been paid around Rs 200,000 in compensation for his fruit-bearing trees on the orders of the Punjab ombudsman, 27 years after his land was taken over by the LDA. According to details, Ishaq Lodhi filed a complaint that the Health Department had obtained in 1979 three-and-a-half acres of land in Bhobatian village that belonged to him, for the construction of a psychiatric institute. He had been given government land in the same village in exchange, he said. Meanwhile, the land occupied by the department was later transferred to the LDA. Lodhi said that he was not compensated for the loss of the fruit-bearing trees on his land, which were estimated at Rs 218,975 by the Horticultural Department. The value of the fruit-bearing trees was assessed on August 12, 1979, on the orders of the Agriculture Department. In response, the Punjab Institute of Mental Health executive director confirmed the exchange of land with Lodhi, and its subsequent transfer to the LDA during 1980-81. He said that it had been decided in a meeting in April 1979 under the then health adviser to the marital law administrator, that Lodhi would be compensated by the LDA for the fruit trees. staff report

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Intoxication

April 6th, 2006, 02:29 PM

27 years!! If that happened to me i wud be seriously pissed off

PakFan

April 6th, 2006, 10:35 PM

Well, I guess the wheels of justice grind slowly (or even grind at all in Pakistan at the best of times!).

Sania

April 7th, 2006, 07:04 AM

Friday, April 07, 2006

Lahoris get ready for summer

By Aayan Ali

LAHORE: Sales of air conditioners, water coolers and ice cream have picked up as summer sets in and the Meteorological office has said that although the temperature is below average, it will get hotter in the coming months.

“It’s hard to travel on a motorcycle in the day, because of heat and pollution” said Zulfiqar Ali from Allama Iqbal Town. “Wearing a helmet makes me sweat and I have to keep a tissue roll with me. I hope the temperature stays low this summer.”

“I hope it rains and the temperature drops,” said an MAO college student, “because it’s getting hard to travel in packed buses.” He said traveling in crowded buses with sweaty passengers results in hot tempers. Daily Times learnt that although citizens were complaining about the increase in temperature, the weather has been cooler than it was in the previous years, so far. April temperature rose to 46C in 1941. Met Department Director Ali Zahid Zaidi and Deputy Director Salman Lateef said that because of a change in lifestyle and dependence on air conditioners, each year seems to be hotter than the previous one.

They said global warming was a different issue, which had nothing to do with this weather, and tropical weather was never stable.

According to the Met office record, the highest temperature in May was 48C in 1944 and the lowest was 22.2C in 1973 and the highest temperature in June was 48.2C in 1929 and the lowest was 27C in 1977. Lahore’s temperature rose to 48.4C in July 1901.

The temperature will decline with rains in August, the Met office director said, but since rains are expected to be less than average, Lahoris should expect a long summer.

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Sania

April 7th, 2006, 07:05 AM

Friday, April 07, 2006

Classic Hollywood comes to town

By Mariam Mushtaq

LAHORE: If music is the food of life, then film is its oxygen. And a constant diet of big budget Hollywood blockbusters and frivolous Bollywood fare can leave it gasping for air. If you feel you are in need of resuscitation, then give that DVD player at home a rest and head out to the National College of Arts, Lahore where the on-going American Film Festival, showing unforgettable cinematic achievements of classic America cinema, is sure to breathe life back into you.

A collaborative effort by the US Consulate and NCA, the festival represents the development of American cinema from silent, black-and-white movies to colour-tinted and sound versions. Film buffs have an eclectic mix of masterpieces to choose from: works by comedic genius Charlie Chaplin and master of suspense Alfred Hitchcock, the first Hollywood epic by D.W. Griffith The Birth of A Nation and the multiple-award-winning Ben Hur. The 6-day festival opened on Wednesday with Charlie Chaplin’s The Gold Rush, a personal favourite of Chaplin himself that casts him in the role of a gold prospector at the turn of the 19th century. Lahore enjoyed Chaplin in the role of the classic tramp and his trademark slapstick routine as much as America did when the film was first released over seven decades ago.

Day two, Thursday, featured the black-and-white Blackmail, part of Alfred Hitchcock’s repertoire of films he directed in his native Britain before moving to Hollywood towards the end of the 1930s. Released in 1929, Blackmail is a landmark in cinematic history for being the first British movie with sound. It tells the story of naïve young Alice who, in a bid to make her rather stodgy boyfriend Frank jealous, befriends a handsome stranger. Before the night is over, she has murdered him in self-defense to escape his unwanted advances, leaving the two caught in a web of deceit and lies. Used as we have become to slick filmmaking techniques and mind-numbing special effects, Hitchcock’s simple, at times even comic, use of facial expressions and gestures to convey suspense is effective to this day. Add to that the fact the Blackmail features what is probably one the oldest car chase sequences in the history of cinema and a climatic fight atop the British Museum in true Hollywood fashion and we have a winner. NCA Principal Sajida Haider Vandal said Blackmail, as well as the rest of the films featured in the festival, had stood the test of time and broken new grounds in the history of cinema.

Home | Lahore
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\04\07\story_7-4-2006_pg13_8

Sania

April 7th, 2006, 07:06 AM

Friday, April 07, 2006

WB offers Punjab $100m for irrigation

LAHORE: The World Bank (WB) has offered $100 million to the Punjab government to improve the irrigation system of the province. The offer was made by a delegation of the bank in its meeting with Punjab Irrigation Minister Amir Sultan Cheema at his office on Thursday.

The bank’s members said that the organisation would launch initiatives to improve Punjab’s canal system, which was the biggest in the world. The money would be spent on improving the efficiency of the irrigation system, projects to save water wastage, national drainage schemes, the regulation of underground water and tube wells, and upgrading irrigation technology, they said. The minister praised the World Bank’s financial and technical support for irrigation projects, saying that the Punjab government had allocated record funds for irrigation.

He said that farmers were being included in Punjab Irrigation Water Regulation Advisory Board. APP

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Sania

April 7th, 2006, 07:07 AM

Friday, April 07, 2006

The transporters’ way or the highway

* Franchised buses fining passengers in the name of Punjab govt
* Govt says transporters have not been allowed to fine passengers

By Rana Kashif

LAHORE: “I will not pay the fine! I could not buy the ticket because I fell asleep and the crew of a transport company cannot make me pay a Rs 30 fine for not buying a Rs 10 ticket,” said Ahmed Ali who was travelling on a franchised bus, and quarrelling with the ticket inspector demanding the fine.

The quarrel started when ticket inspector Usman asked Ahmed to show his ticket, but the latter could not because he had fallen asleep after boarding the bus from Chungi Amarsadhu. The ticket inspector however was not in a mood to listen and told Usman to pay at least a Rs 30 fine, at which Ahmed argued that why could he not only buy the ticket instead of paying the fine. The matter was resolved by other passengers who asked the ticket inspector not to fine Ahmed, asking the inspector under which law the bus crew was allowed to display messages by the Punjab government to fine passengers.

Almost all the franchised buses on various routes of Lahore have the message ‘A Passenger Without Ticket will be Fined up to Rs 30 by the Government of Punjab’ displayed on them despite the fact that no private company is authorised by law to fine commuters.

“We have not allowed transporters to fine passengers because there is no law under which private companies can penalise passengers,” said Regional Transport Authority (RTA) Secretary Muhammad Arshad Zahid. “The Punjab government’s sticker with the message to fine passengers has not been issued by us, and transporters have not even been verbally directed to do so,” he added. “It is not in my knowledge that transporters are fining passengers for not buying tickets, which is against the law”. He said he would personally monitor things in this regard and take action against delinquents.

“Yes, we make passengers pay a Rs 30 fine for not getting tickets, but such incidents are very rare,” said Muhammad Sufian, an official from a private transport company. “In most of the cases, passengers are only warned. We fine passengers because of a mutual understanding between the government and transport companies.”

Home | Lahore
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\04\07\story_7-4-2006_pg13_2

Sania

April 7th, 2006, 07:17 AM

Says Gujrat University to bring revolution; vows to link Gujrat with Lahore-Sialkot Motorway

From Our Correspondent

GUJRAT: The Punjab government has made an exemplary progress in economic and social sectors to provide a relief to the people and democratic institutions have been strengthened through the district government system introduced by President General Pervez Musharraf.

This was stated by the Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi while talking to delegations of party workers and elected representatives here at his residence after the Chehlum of his mother on Thursday.

MNA Chaudhry Wajahat Hussain, District Nazim Chaudhry Shafaat Hussain, federal ministers Ch Zafar Iqbal Warraich and Khusro Bakhtiar, provincial ministers Mian Imran Masood, Zaheerud Din, Raja Basharat, Mian Khadim Wattoo and Mian Afzal Hayat were also present.

The chief minister said his government's performance in the fields of education, health, agriculture, industry, trade, and information technology was tremendous and he had served the people without any discrimination.

"The results of development will reach in every district equally," he said, adding that he had provided maximum funds for the development of his hometown and tried his best to solve the problems of people in the area. "People have to wait for a short time to see their area a developed one."

He said the sewerage was a major problem of the City and the work on its construction was underway after which all roads would be constructed. He vowed to link Gujrat with the Sialkot-Lahore Motorway by constructing a bridge on River Chenab near Shahbazpur.

He said the University of Gujrat would bring a revolution in the fields of economics, industrial, education and science. He said the PML would win the general elections in 2007 and appealed to the party workers to remain in touch with the leaderships with their respective areas. Earlier, people from all walks of life offered dua for the departed soul of his mother at the Nut House.http://www.jang-group.com/thenews/apr2006-daily/07-04-2006/metro/l8.htm

Sania

April 7th, 2006, 07:18 AM

Indian artists perform today

By Our Correspondent

TWO renowned Indian stage and TV artists, currently on their first visit of Pakistan, Thursday said the artists could play a vital role in establishing lasting bonds of friendship and peace between the two countries and the region.

Guk Griwal and Pamela Sing, from Chandi Garh, said they were beaming with joy when they came to know that they were going to Lahore. On their arrival they went straight to Anarkali, as in India people considered visit of Lahore was incomplete without seeing Anarkali bazaar. The artists are associated with "The Company" in Chandi Garh and its artists perform all over the world. They are currently on a tour of Pakistan as part of a 16-member delegation led by their Director Neelam Maan Sing and will perform there on Friday (today).

Pamela Sing said her forefathers belonged to Sahiwal but due to time constraint she could not go to her ancestors' city. She said a joint venture between Pakistan and India in the fields of theatre and cinema would prove very beneficial for both the countries.

Sania

April 7th, 2006, 07:21 AM

Neglect deprives Iqbal Park of glory

Despite enough resources and army of gardeners, sweepers ground realities speak volumes for sorry state of affair

By Ghulam Haider

IQBAL Park, previously known as Minto Park where the historical Pakistan Resolution was passed on March 23, 1940, is in dilapidated condition - courtesy apathy on the part of Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) assigned the task to maintain this important park.

The PHA has enough resources and an army of gardeners and sweepers but the ground realities speak volumes for the sorry state of affairs prevailing there and indifference on the part of PHA.

If one pays a visit to this park, one comes across heaps of garbage lying here and there at the main entrance. Uncleaned pathways and broken railings of Iqbal Park greet the visitors. The slabs of the pathways have been broken while there is hardly any bench in a condition to sit in the park.

Empty bottles, juice packs and polythene shopping bags can be found in almost all the 'well-planned' bifurcated small parks of Iqbal Park. Flowers in the park have become extinct as the PHA has hardly taken into account the need for planting new flowers to feast the eyes of the visitors.

The PHA receives over Rs 1.6 million from the contracts of the bicycle stand and three canteens and over Rs 3 million from the contract of the lift of Minar-e-Pakistan annually. As many as 14 sweepers, 30 gardeners and 22 guards, besides other top officials, keep 'vigil' round-the-clock to keep the Minar-e-Pakistan clean.

Almost all the eight marble fountains on the main access, which used to add to the beauty by emitting watery rainbows with the help of multi-coloured lights in the evenings, have been out of order.

The lake at the Iqbal Park has been reduced to a sort of drainage as the PHA has not carried out cleanliness for months. Foul smell emitting from the dirty lake water has become a permanent nuisance for the residents of the nearby localities and for those coming to visit the historical monument.

Besides a hunting ground for the swindlers, Iqbal Park has become a favourite place for the drug-addicts, usually descending on the place after sunset. Oblivious of the PHA security guards and the visitors, small groups of drug-addicts can be witnessed in the nook and corner of the park, puffing away hash, heroin and other drugs.

The pathway along the lake and then to the Minar is in the worst condition where one can hardly keep a balanced walk on the broken pavements. The condition is usually made miserable for the visitors when the PHA waters this path and the water is accumulated in small low-lying places.

Vendors selling spurious and adulterated food items in the park are commonly seen roaming on the premises of Minar-e-Pakistan. Insiders allege that the PHA officials receive 'daily' running into hundreds of rupees from these vendors who cannot do their business but with the connivance and under the patronage of the PHA personnel.

At the immediate left side of the main entrance, a circus had been established by a private party for the last one and half years where all the immoral activities starting from gambling to eunuchs dance continues round-the-clock.

However, the management managed to dismantle the circus a couple of days ago in the wake of public outcry against immoral activities under the garb of circus. A large number of people of all ages used to play 'Five dot', 'Magic Show', 'Game of Skill', 'Ring Table', 'Ball Box', 'Variety Show' etc put money at stake to make fortunes overnight.

However, the bottom line is that in majority of the cases, the pocket of the proprietor was stuffed and several participants lost their hard-earned money, and in certain cases their day's labour.

The centenary celebrations of the PML were held in Iqbal Park on March 23 and the authorities made four gates by breaking the iron fence from four different places to entertain the participants but the PHA has yet to erect the iron fence at the abovementioned four places.

"Minar-e-Pakistan is the unique structure where the first meeting to form the Islamic Republic of Pakistan was held. Quaid-e-Azam, the founder of Pakistan, met with the Muslim League Party of the British India and passed the resolution to form Pakistan," said a visitor Muhammad Rafique while pointing towards the worst condition of the national monument.

Project Director Minar-e-Pakistan, Ali Nawaz Shah, when contacted, said they had removed the circus from the Iqbal Park premises on April 4. He admitted that gambling and related immoral activities were going on but the contract of the circus proprietor ended on April 3 after almost over one and a half years and they removed their structure immediately after the expiry of their contract date.

Situated in the heart of Lahore, he said around 20,000 to 30,000 locals and foreigners daily visited Minar-e-Pakistan to see where the dream for the country of Pakistan was first envisioned. He said they earned over Rs 3 million per annum from the open auction of the lift of Minar-e-Pakistan. But due to fixing of the safety grill at the fourth flour of Minar-e-Pakistan for the last nine months, they had been deprived of this earning.

He said due to the absence of filtration plant the PHA was unable to keep clean the lake water. He said filtration plant was very costly and they could not purchase it. He said the government was planning to renovate Iqbal Park and around Rs 5 million had been allocated for this purpose. He hoped that the funds would be released soon for the renovation of the park.
http://www.jang-group.com/thenews/apr2006-daily/07-04-2006/metro/l34.htm

Sania

April 7th, 2006, 07:27 AM

Land, loan for Ring Road victims

LAHORE, April 6: Punjab communication and works minister Chaudhry Zaheeruddin has said no Ring Road affected people will be rendered homeless. Talking to a delegation of Harbanspura residents, he said the government would provide maximum possible relief to all those whose property would be acquired for Ring Road. Those losing residential accommodation would be provided alternative land and loans for reconstruction of their houses.— Reporter

Sania

April 7th, 2006, 07:29 AM

WB offers $100m for irrigation schemes

LAHORE, April 6: The World Bank has offered $100 million annual aid for improving irrigation schemes, provincial Irrigation Minister Aamer Sulatn Cheema said. The offer, he said, was made by a WB mission which called on him at his office on Thursday.

It was the first time the WB has offered such a huge amount for irrigation system, he claimed.

He said the bank wanted this money to be spent on saving water, improving canals and revamping irrigation infrastructure.

In addition to these schemes, the bank also wanted Pakistan to strengthen its national drainage programme, underground water regulation and upgrading its water technology, he said.

The minister said the government was already spending huge funds on mega water projects and research. It also involved farmers in planning and given control of certain canals to growers, he added. —Staff Reporter

http://www.dawn.com/2006/04/07/nat33.htm

Tagga

April 7th, 2006, 12:52 PM

http://img58.imageshack.us/img58/8625/p22lo.jpg

http://img58.imageshack.us/img58/8791/p17ho.jpg

Tagga

April 7th, 2006, 01:16 PM

Bullish domestic investors, too, are snapping up telecom licenses and state assets. Businessman Taseer raised $40 million from Pakistani banks and $25 million from a U.S. venture-capital company in two months as part of his successful bid for a wireless license. He is also building a 350-room Hyatt hotel and shopping-mall complex in Lahore with $40 million in debt and equity that he organized from domestic banks and investors in just six weeks. "This would have been inconceivable before," says Taseer, 50, a cigar-smoking tycoon who publishes the Daily Times newspaper and is constructing Lahore's tallest office building. "Not long ago, we would have waited at least three years to get a loan from an international bank. In the last two years there has been more economic activity in Pakistan than in the past 50."

www.saag.org/BB/view.asp?msgID=25350

---------------------------

Wireless Licence mentioned is of WorldCALL Wireless.

This person is also a part of Pace Pakistan, Ali Akbar Group, 4BGroup (Therefore the Hyatt and tallest office building mentioned is most probably part of Faletti project).

PakFan

April 7th, 2006, 02:04 PM

I'd be surprised if anything has been agreed with the Hyatt Group for that site. There has been no news to that effect (other than the posted statment).

Techno-Architect

April 8th, 2006, 01:19 AM

http://img58.imageshack.us/img58/8625/p22lo.jpg

http://img58.imageshack.us/img58/8791/p17ho.jpg

Whr iz Dis!!>>>????

Sania

April 8th, 2006, 07:03 AM

http://img58.imageshack.us/img58/8625/p22lo.jpg

http://img58.imageshack.us/img58/8791/p17ho.jpg

Whr iz Dis!!>>>????

I think this will be near lahore airport

Sania

April 8th, 2006, 07:07 AM

Saturday, April 08, 2006

Govt promoting arts and culture: governor

By Shoaib Ahmed

LAHORE: The Alhamra Art Centre was packed with people for the 20th annual exhibition (8th national show) of the Artists’ Association of Punjab (AAP), which was inaugurated by Punjab Governor Lt Gen (r) Khalid Maqbool.

The exhibition was perhaps one of the biggest and best shows of paintings in Lahore, featuring 250 art works by 200 artists from all over the country.

AAP was founded in 1985 in the four provinces of Pakistan, but its operations are going steadily in Punjab only. Founding members include Professor Ijazul Hasan (chairman of AAP), Ghulam Mustafa (general secretary of AAP), late Naseem Hafeez Qazi, Abbasi Abdi (former National College of Arts principal), Shahnawaz Zaidi (Punjab University College of Art and Design principal), Saleema Hashmi (former NCA principal) and renowned painters Ghulam Rasool and Khalid Iqbal.

Ghulam Rasool told Daily Times that AAP was a self-reliant association and it had never asked for the government’s financial support. He said that it was the only organisation holding annual exhibitions for the last 20 years, and a large number of artists had been introduced under the banner of AAP. He said AAP published a brochure for the event every year. He said such brochures were also sent to public libraries of Punjab to allow students and other people to benefit from them.

Artists had used mediums like oil, watercolour, pastel, mixed media and compositions for landscapes, portraits, figurative paintings, abstract works, semi abstract works, ceramics and sculptures.

Paintings by Mian Ijazul Hasan, Ghulam Mustafa, Shahnawaz Zaidi, Zulfiqar Ali Zulfi, Zaibun Nisa Zubair, Dr Naseer Haider, Amna Pataudi and Nida Salman attracted a large number of people because of the colours and concepts.

Ijazul Hasan said the governor had promoted culture and education, but governments in Pakistan paid little attention to culture and heritage. Criticising the government for not providing sufficient funds, he said societies could not be civilised without education and culture. He highlighted the importance of a Contemporary Museum for Modern Art, where collections of fine arts could be put on display for young people. He said that art councils were not buying paintings for their collections, and the paintings in the Punjab art collection were bought in 1975.

“We should try to collect art,” said the governor, adding that the government had a liberal point of view when it came to promoting art and culture. He said the society was full of experiences, diversity and challenges, which should be met. He said arts and culture were an important medium for national integration and the government – being aware of its value – was encouraging it in different ways. The exhibition will continue till April 22.

Home | Lahore

huit

April 8th, 2006, 08:32 AM

^ Can we please keep this thread restricted to "Progress News & Updates"??? News items like these don't fit in!

I've seen the Pace site near the airport, it's pretty big and this could very well be made there.

Sania

April 8th, 2006, 07:25 PM

City govt to install 135 fire hydrants

By Our Reporter

LAHORE, April 7: The City District Government Lahore will install 135 fire hydrants in the far-flung areas of the city at a cost of Rs10 million.

Stating this while presiding over a meeting held here on Friday to consider ways and means for improving the performance of fire control services, district nazim Mian Amer said installation of fire hydrants had been necessitated in view of the fact that a large number of housing colonies had come up in the city during the past 25 years, but no new fire station had been established.

He said many colonies were far away from the 13 existing fire stations, and water lorries could not reach there in time after receiving information about a fire.

He said the fire hydrants would be installed in the localities away from the fire brigade stations so that the lorries could procure water from there instead of returning to fire stations for the purpose. He said there were only 13 fire stations in the city with 15 lorries for 400 fire fighters as neither any new fire station had been established during the past 25 years nor any lorry procured.

He said the CDGL had received two 13-year old fire lorries donated by the Glasgow City Council of the UK. Both the lorries were in an excellent condition owing to good maintenance. The lorries were equipped with 40-foot ladders whereas only 28-foot ladders had been installed on the old ones.

He said the city government had also allocated a sum of Rs9 million for the purchase of new fire fighting equipment, including fire suits and gas masks.

http://www.dawn.com/2006/04/08/nat40.htm

Sania

April 8th, 2006, 07:31 PM

Mega project for potable water next year

By Munawar Hasan

Punjab Government is going to launch a mega potable water programme in a big way from the next financial year.

"After terming Education and Health priority areas in three years of power, Punjab government has decided to introduce supply of clean drinking water as another priority from fiscal 2006-07," said provincial Finance Minister Sardar Hasnain Bahadur Dreshak talking to The News.

He said a special programme on "Strengthening of Public Health Engineering" would be launched to provide clean water in the province at union council level. Focus would be on to install water purification plants and improvement in drinking water supply system, he said. It is learn that provincial government would execute this project through local governments.

The Punjab government, Finance Minister said, has been mindful of importance of social sector in improvement of masses living standards. That is why, he added, provincial government introduced education sector reforms programme during the first fiscal soon after assuming power. After gap of a couple of year, he maintained, health sector reforms programme had been initiated to provide basic health facilities through an extensive network of basic health units and rural health centers.

He said the provision of clean drinking water would be another addition in provincial government's efforts to focus social sector with a view to improving living standards of the people. He said precise allocation for "Strengthening of Public Health Engineering" project was being assessed at present. However, he added, a huge amount would be earmarked for supply of clean drinking water.

http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/apr2006-daily/08-04-2006/metro/l27.htm

huit

April 9th, 2006, 09:57 AM

Couple of days back there was a full one page advertisement in newspapers here calling for EOIs to build two flyovers on BOT basis from T-junction Cavalry ground to DHA main enterance and another one from the same location (T-junction) to Masjid Chowk DHA.

I don't really think these are needed... besides, if they build it on BOT basis then they'll charge toll aswell - I wonder how many people would actually prefer it over the other easily accessible route.

PakiDoperz

April 9th, 2006, 11:16 AM

Sania

April 9th, 2006, 12:24 PM

Sunday, April 09, 2006

90% buildings lack safety measures

LAHORE: The City District Government Lahore (CDGL) has failed to implement building safety laws, as more than 90 percent of Lahore’s buildings lack such measures. Sources told Daily Times that following the October 8 earthquake, the provincial and district governments had revised building bylaws on the directions of the federal government to guard against a similar calamity in the future. However, six months had passed and yet no practical steps had been taken for the implementation of the revised bylaws in the province, they said. Officials said that only a few buildings in Lahore, such as Governor’s House, Chief Minister’s Secretariat, a newly constructed bank at Shah Din Manzal on Mall Road and the Water and Power Development Authority House, adhered to the government’s building code at present. They said that the CDGL had also allowed the construction of 40-storey buildings in violation of the city building laws. Lahore Development Authority (LDA) Director General Raja Muhammad Abbass said that the authorities had directed architects to ensure construction under their supervision. “Though the CDGL and other authorities have tried to implement building bylaws, they have been unable to develop the practice of construction according to the buildings code,” he said. Nayyer Ali Dada, the country’s leading architect, said that investors spent billions of rupees on construction, but no one cared about building codes. He urged the government not to issue No Objection Certificates unless buildings were in accordance with the bylaws. Sources said that initial investigations into the fire in the AlFalah building on Saturday night had shown that wooden pieces used for the discharge of gas from the air conditioner had stoked the fire. Despite being one of the oldest shopping malls in the city, they said, the building did not have an adequate fire-extinguishing mechanism. khawaja naseer

Home | Lahore

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\04\09\story_9-4-2006_pg13_2

Sania

April 9th, 2006, 12:36 PM

Lahorites to enjoy feast of Sufi music

CM to inaugurate international

festival on April 13 at Alhamra

By Our Correspondent

PUNJAB Chief Minister Ch Pervaiz Elahi will inaugurate the First International Mystic Music Sufi Festival on April 13, jointly organized by Rafi Peer Theatre Workshop and Mobilink at Alhamra Cultural Complex, Qaddafi Stadium.

Rafi Peer Theatre Workshop representatives Usman and Faizan Peerzada announced this in a press conference at Lahore Press Club Saturday. They said over the past fifteen years the Rafi Peer Theatre Workshop had followed its dream of bringing the gift of cultural exchange to Pakistan. "We now bring to our audiences the first International Mystic Music Sufi Festival and Ibsen in South Asia Festival in April in Lahore. All the performances will start from 8:00pm onwards. We will arrange this festival every year," they said.

The International Mystic Music Sufi Festival aims at bringing to the audiences the musical element of Sufism and to explore the richness of this divine tradition, they said.

The festival will host groups from Afghanistan, Iran, Syria and Turkey along with artists from Pakistan.

Sufism is reflected in the number of Sufi shrines in various locations of Punjab and Sindh.

There is a need to propagate Sufi tradition of the subcontinent and the Muslim world and to create awareness regarding its validity as a pragmatic Islamic practice in the masses.

The festival will also host an International Sufi Conference "Universalism and Islam" which will be addressed by Reza Shah Kazmi (UK), Cemalnur Sargut (Turkey), Sheikh Harun Rashid Faye (Senegal), Imam Salim Chishti, Maryum Kabeer Faye (USA), and Yoginder Sikand, Muzzaffar Ali (India), and Javed Ahmed Ghamidi (Pakistan) on April 15.

Hazrat Inayat Khan, founder of the Sufi Order International went to the West as a representative of the highest musical and spiritual traditions of the subcontinent. He took Sheikh al-Masha’ikh Sayyid Abu Hashim Madaani of the Chishtiya Order as his spiritual teacher. Today Sufi Order International is headed by Pir Zia Inayat Khan the grandson of Hazrat Inayat Khan.

The Rafi Peer Theatre Workshop was the first organization which started promoting Sufi music in Pakistan. From the whirling Dervishes to the most famous qawals of Pakistan, the RPTW has brought the best to Lahore.

http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/apr2006-daily/09-04-2006/national/n30.htm

Huma

April 9th, 2006, 12:36 PM

Tenders have been invited by thr federal govt, in all leading newspaperes, for constructing a world class 6-star hotel at the prime location of former Services Intarnational Hotel, Mall Road. Its really amazing that they have clearly mentioned in conditions that the hotel building should be 400+ feet high. On the otherhand, We have learnt that PC Tower is delayed due to the reason that Mall Road restricted for high rise building. Another remarkable proposal, conceived after just a week later, is that Punjab govt also has decided to build a highrise hotel on 40 kannal land of provincial VIP houses near Governor house on Mall Road.

Sania

April 9th, 2006, 12:40 PM

Unesco urged to delist Lahore Fort

By Intikhab Hanif

LAHORE, April 8: The Pakistan office of Unesco has reportedly recommended its headquarters to remove the Lahore Fort from the list of endangered monuments. “The recommendation is a big achievement because of the restoration work conducted at the historic fort during the past one and-a-half years and the future related multi-million rupees programme,” officials claimed here on Saturday.

Unesco had declared the Lahore Fort and the Mughal Shalamar Gardens endangered monuments in the wake of holding of parties in the former and demolition of the hydraulic system of the latter reportedly during the Shahbaz Sharif government.

Officials said India’s Taj Mahal, too, was put on the list of the endangered monuments but was removed from it after restoration efforts of 18 years. In contrast, the Lahore Fort would be removed from the list because of the remedial measures of only 18 months.

They said the fort would be finally removed from the list after a meeting at the Unesco headquarters in near future.

The recommendation came as the provincial government, which was given control of the fort some time ago, took steps to improve environment there and restored the decrepit Shish Mahal. It restored Shish Mahal’s roof which had sagged because of weight of years of refurbishment for which tons of iron bars and cement were used.

The government removed the burden from the roof and the termite-infested wooden beams, besides restoring the glass work of the place. The work has been completed with Norwegian grant of $9 million and under guidance of its experts from Hong Kong, Britain and France.

In addition, ugly power mainlines in the fort and in front of its Alamgiri Gate were removed. Restoration of the lawns in the fort and the Hazoori Bagh, too, were part of the restoration.

http://www.dawn.com/2006/04/09/nat36.htm

Huma

April 9th, 2006, 12:40 PM

title Punjab CM Pervaiz Elahi, In a meeting, has approved a plan to build a 6-star hotel on Mall Road, with the help of a Middle-east company, on the 40-kannal land where presently are the residences of provincial speaker and ministers. Its really ununderstandable why PC Tower is being held with the objection of Mall Road restrictions. Other plans , approved, were Lahore-Sialkot Motorway and a Sports City at the bank of Ravi.

Sania

April 9th, 2006, 12:47 PM

Sunday, April 09, 2006

Porsche reveals long-term plans in Pakistan

Lahore: Porsche Middle East & Africa carried out the official launch of Porsche operations in Pakistan at its Lahore centre on Saturday.

Those who were present on the occasion included Deesch Papke, MD Porsche Middle East and Africa, Abuzar Bokhari, Chairman of Porsche Lahore and Karachi, and Ateeq Ahmad, CEO of the centres in Lahore and Karachi. On the occasion, the German automobile brand name also launched its 2006 model Cayman S in the Pakistani market.

Speaking at the event, Deesch Papke, Managing Director of Porsche Middle East and Africa, said that it was rewarding to come back to Pakistan after less than a year and witness the vast progress achieved to date.

Abuzar Bokhari, Chairman of Porsche Centre Lahore & Karachi, Autotechnik Pvt Ltd., stressed the significance of holding on to previously set targets. On the other hand, Attique Ahmed, CEO of Porsche Centre Lahore & Karachi, Autotechnik Pvt Ltd., detailed the progress on ground for Porsche in Pakistan: “Frantic activity in the past 11 months has resulted in great accomplishments. A Porsche showroom has already opened in Lahore, while another one will open soon in Karachi.

The site for permanent Porsche Centre Lahore has been secured, while plans for the facility are in the process of being finalized. Currently, Autotechnik employs a staff of highly experienced and competent employees. As usual, training is an integral part of the development programme all employees are subjected to.”

Furthermore, a new Porsche showroom will open in Karachi in May and a service centre has already been operational there since January.

Porsche’s next step in Pakistan will be relocation to a permanent facility scheduled to take place during 2007. Cayman S will be the first in a series of new Porsche models to hit the Pakistani roads. Soon the second most powerful road car ever built by Porsche after the Carrera GT, the Cayenne Turbo S, will follow in addition to the legendary new 911 Turbo and 911 GT3 in summer. The latter two cars will brim with many firsts in automotive technology that would guarantee a shattering performance and unrivalled driving pleasure.

Porsche Middle East & Africa is on the way to setting a new sales record of at least 4,500 new cars by the end of the current 2005/06 fiscal year. staff report

Home | Business

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\04\09\story_9-4-2006_pg5_8

huit

April 9th, 2006, 04:23 PM

I won't believe it until and unless I see some construction work at the site! We've been let down before!

PakFan

April 9th, 2006, 06:13 PM

As pointed out earlier, people are still posting long, irrelevant news stories in this section. Please can we limit postings to relevant items and not long, irrelevant (however interesting they may be) news items.

Sania

April 10th, 2006, 08:59 AM

Monday, April 10, 2006

From the campus window: LUMS on top of the world

* Wins diplomacy awards at Model UN Conference in Harvard

By Ali Waqar

The Lahore University of Management Sciences Model United Nations (UN) Society topped the Harvard World Model UN Conference in Beijing (China), which was held a few days ago.

The conference was a simulation of the actual UN bodies and diplomacy awards were given to students who showed brilliant debating and diplomacy skills. An eight-member delegation from LUMS, the university representing Pakistan at the conference for the last three years, won the Outstanding Delegation Award at the 15th such conference organised by the Harvard University from March 27 to 31 at the Peking University. More than 1,400 students from 175 international institutes participated in the conference, the largest such international gathering of students. It is noteworthy that the students from LUMS were up against some of the world’s best universities like Cambridge, Oxford, Harvard, MIT, London School of Economics, McGill, Princeton and University of California (Berkley).

This is the first time in the history of the conference that an Asian university has won the competition.

The Pakistani students imitated the UN Development Programme (UNDP); Social, Cultural and Humanitarian Committee (SCHC); UN Commission for Refugees (UNCR); Special, Political and Decolonisation Committee (SPDC); UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR); World Health Organization (WHO); Historical General Assembly (HGA) and Disarmament and International Security (DIS). Members of each committee were assigned two topics of global concern and they had to make resolutions written on the original UN format. The LUMS team was assigned to represent India at the conference, which interested all the delegates and directors a great deal.

Four of the eight students from Pakistan won diplomacy awards in their respective committees, achieving an incredible 50 percent winning ratio. The students were recognised for their excellent diplomacy skills, exceptional debating talent, knowledge of international affairs and understanding the true spirit of the UN.

The following students won diplomacy awards: Ammar Anees Malik (UNDP), Syed Hashim Zaidi (SPDC), Hassaan Khan Sherwani (SCHC) and Rabea Inamul Haq (UNCHR). The other students from Pakistan who participated in the conference are Syed Hassan Akbar (head delegate), Kazi Muhammad Siddiqui, Sarosh Haroon Sualehi and Syed Ahmad Zaidi.

THE Punjab University Academic Staff Association (PUASA) has called for autonomy of the university, its statutory bodies and teachers. The body also called for being allowed to make research without any pressure. The PUASA objected that the chancellor should work within the sphere defined in the PU Act. The PUASA recently passed a resolution, asking the governor not to engage senior teachers in unnecessary activities. The PUASA demanded the administration fill vacant teaching posts for grade 21 and 22 and revise its alleged illegal decision of appointing a junior teacher as Education Faculty Dean.

The Government College University (GCU) arranged a gathering in memory of Nasir Kazmi, a great poet and writer of high calibre who is widely acknowledged in literary circles. The richness of imagination reflected in his poetry set him apart from the rest of his contemporaries, said GCU Dean of Arts Prof Dr Sohail Ahmed Khan at the gathering organised by the GCU Majlis-e-Iqbal Society. Dr Deep Jani Chatterji from the UK praised Nasir for the depth in his poetry. She said that Nasir was still alive in people’s hearts and spoke to them through his ghazals. She said that ghazals had a special place in literature and should be written in French, Italian and other languages. Noted novelist Intizar Hussain held Nasir in high esteem and said he was a great writer and poet of his time. Majls-e-Iqbal Society Chief Prof Asghar Nadeem Syed, Basir Kazmi (Nasir’s son) and others discussed the poet’s life. Basir said that he was trying to spread his father’s literary work. Students from the GCU Music Society sang Nasir’s ghazals.

The Lahore College for Women University (LCWU) has signed three memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with Japanese institutes for collaboration in environmental research. The MoUs were signed with the Japanese Institute of Geo-Resources and Environment, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Sciences and Technology (ASIT) and Aichi Gakuin University (AGU). Punjab Governor Lt Gen (r) Khalid Maqbool and Dr Hideharu Morishita from the AGU signed the MoUs at LCWU on Friday.

The LCWU also arranged an international workshop on ‘Health Impact Assessment and Risk Mitigation of Arsenic Contamination in Rural Areas through Community Participation’ last week, which was organised by the LCWU Environmental Science Department and Pakistan Society for Geography Information System. The workshop was aimed at assessing people’s health status in Chahkalanwala, a village contaminated with arsenic.

Home | National

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\04\10\story_10-4-2006_pg7_28

merijanpakistan

April 10th, 2006, 10:41 AM

^^

Salam,

That makes me so proud. Some of our universities and institutes are doing good. Cheers to Atta-ur-Rehman's efforts, lately.

Peace.

Sania

April 10th, 2006, 02:57 PM

I won't believe it until and unless I see some construction work at the site! We've been let down before!

i agree

Asad Abbas Syed

April 10th, 2006, 03:55 PM

This is a pretty long process. The building is pledge by the Govt and first of all it will be privatized and than some process will start in terms of constructing a hotel and this includes designing, approvals from various civic bodies and finally court stays by someone on plea of preserving the Lahore master plan which are at large in Lahore. Don't forget that Falattis got privatized sometime 3 years back and till todate nobody has even started dismantling the old structure.

huit

April 10th, 2006, 10:45 PM

swerveut

April 11th, 2006, 12:23 AM

^^ My sister was one of the participants of the LUMUN.

Waquas_1

April 11th, 2006, 01:42 AM

i never belive this stuff until i dont see it with my own eyes completed dont believe it

Techno-Architect

April 11th, 2006, 03:32 AM

The construction on the PC Tower will start soon! I have a univ trip to their site in the next few weeks...rite now they are adding some floor to the existing block in the front n all that is being done in STEEL Structure! Ill get the pix sooner!
Steel Structure is in practice now n very soon the high risers will be constructed in steel. But give it some 5-10yrs time before it becomes common into practice......currently the 50-60 storey towers in Lhr r goin to be made in steel structures!!

singaporean

April 11th, 2006, 10:03 AM

http://www.dawn.com/2006/04/11/SlideShow/pic20.jpg

A view of the railway station illuminated on the eve of Eid-i-Milad.

Sania

April 11th, 2006, 03:00 PM

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

Lease of 10 acres in Model Town

Management committee approves deal despite reservations

* Deal involves leasing land to multinational company for Rs 29,000 per kanal per month
* Approval at annual general meeting on 30th

By Khawaja Naseer

LAHORE: Disregarding legal procedure, Model Town Society’s (MTS) management committee has approved leasing out a 10-acre piece of commercial land worth Rs 4 billion to a ‘selected’ multinational company for a 30-year period for Rs 29,000 per kanal per month, MTS administration sources told Daily Times on Monday.

They said residents of Model Town as well as several MTS management committee members had protested to MTS President Col (r) Tahir Hussain Kardar for hiding the deal’s facts from management committee members.

According to the approved lease plan, the multinational company would pay Rs 36 million annually as lease money for 30 years. However, the management committee’s approval will be presented in MTS’ annual general meeting, which is likely to be called on April 30. Sources said the MTS management committee met on April 7 to discuss various administrative issues including construction by-laws, electricity policy and the process of the pre-qualification bid for the 10 acres in G-Block. Instead of discussing the agenda for which the meeting was called, Col (r) Kardar presented the bill for approval for a ‘selected’ pre-qualification bid to lease the 10 acres to the multinational company, which is in the warehouse business, sources said, adding that several management committee members refused to approve the bill, saying that MTS by-laws to lease out the land were not followed and serious irregularities had been committed, which exposed Col (r) Kardar’s intentions. The management committee members said proper advertisement procedure for seeking the interests of national and international investors had not been followed and that the advertisement that was given in a section of the press had suited only a select group in the pre-qualification bid, as it had stated that the administration had planned to lease the land for a warehouse, sources said.

The members had also complained about the revenue committee of the MTS management committee – which dealt with sale, purchase or lease of MTS land – not being consulted before the advertisement was given, sources added. Also, instead of the MTS secretary (a Punjab Cooperatives Department official of BPS-19) receiving a pre-qualification bid for leasing out the land, Col (r) Kardar himself received the letters of interests from investors, sources said, adding that besides the MTS secretary being kept in the dark, management committee members were not informed about the offers other parties had made for the same land. Sources said Shahkam Textile and North Star Textile had also bid for the land, but the management committee had been kept in the dark about the offers. Several management committee members told Daily Times that Col (r) Kardar had leased out the 10 acres at a very low price. Dr Fauzia Ahmad, a member from C-Block, said the president had not told the management committee about the lease deal and that she was unaware of the whole procedure.

Dr Fauzia said she wrote to Col (r) Kardar about the ambiguities in the deal. She also said MTS was in a good financial position and did not need to lease out the land for such a paltry sum. However, the land should have been properly advertised so that MTS could get a better deal, she added.

Naushaba Mudassar, a member from B-Block, alleged that the deal was made in the interest of a few people, Col (r) Kardar being one. Ms Naushaba, who is also on the MTS revenue committee, said Col (r) Kardar should have brought the deal to the revenue committee, but he did not. She also said MTS could have sold this land for a much higher price and deposited the money in the society’s account, which would have earned it about Rs 400 million a year in interest. She alleged that Col (r) Kardar was selling off MTS assets for paltry sums in his own interest. Management committee members Qadir Khan (F-Block), Tayyab Khan (B-Block) and Malik Mukhtar (K-Block) have also opposed the deal. MTS Secretary Sabir Hussain Bhatti told Daily Times that Col (r) Kardar had given an advertisement for leasing out the 10 acres. Bhatti said that although he was in charge of looking at bids, letters of interest and advertisements, he (Bhatti) was absent when Col (r) Kardar issued the advertisement. Regarding the other bids, Bhatti said that although Col (r) Kardar knew about them, he (Bhatti) was told that along with the multinational company two other parties had expressed their interest. Col (r) Kardar was not available for comment.

Home | Lahore

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\04\11\story_11-4-2006_pg13_9

PakFan

April 11th, 2006, 05:00 PM

Sania, please note: DO NOT POST IRRELEVANT NEWS STORIES IN THIS SECTION. YOU HAVE BEEN REQUESTED NOT TO DO THIS REPEATEDLY.

Sania

April 14th, 2006, 07:22 AM

Rs18 billion WB loan for irrigation uplift

By Intikhab Hanif

LAHORE, April 13: The World Bank announced on Thursday to give a three-year development policy loan of Rs18 billion to the Punjab government for the improvement and maintenance of its huge irrigation network.

An announcement to this effect was made by WB’s Water Sector chief Manuel Contigoch during a meeting with Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi here at his secretariat.

Chief Secretary Salman Siddique, P&D Chairman Suleiman Ghani, Secretary Irrigation Arif Nadeem and other senior officials were also present on this occasion.

The official who led a delegation announced that the bank would issue the loan in three annual instalments of Rs6 billion each, sources said.

They said the Punjab government was already negotiating with the WB for the loan which would be utilised from the next financial year. It would be utilised to improve and maintain huge irrigation structures and canal network in the province. The loan would help the provincial government strengthen its irrigation system, they said.

Sources said the World Bank official announced the loan after acknowledging that the provincial government had all capability to face the challenges of poverty and social development.

They said the chief minister informed the bank official that farmers’ organisations had been given the canal water channel control and that the role of irrigation patwaris had been eliminated.

The chief minister said the irrigation system was being strengthened through modern research and management since the agricultural and economic reforms programme could effectively be implemented only through the better management of water resources.

He said local organisations had been empowered with regard to better water management of small canals and water channels.

A new system for the exchange of information regarding the availability of water in canals had also been evolved. All such information in this connection was available at the Punjab government website.

The chief minister said to store water and ensure its judicious use, a huge programme aimed at the construction, repair and restoration of barrages and head-works was being implemented. This would lead to the cultivation of thousands of acres of barren land.

He said the patwari culture had been eliminated through introduction of flat rate of water tax. Now the tax was assessed by farmers themselves and the same system had also been evolved for collecting the social security, curtailing the role of social security officers, he said.

He said in order to ensure an equitable water distribution in all areas of the province, solid measures were being taken while foolproof arrangements had also been made to eliminate water theft.

He said the monitoring process had further been made effective in this regard. In order to check the loss of water and to utilise existing water resources to the maximum, a comprehensive strategy was being pursued, he said.

The chief minister added the irrigation system was being computerised for the apportionment of canal water and extensive monitoring of its usage.

Ms Manuel Contigoch assured the chief minister that the World Bank would provide ample resources for strengthening the water sector in Punjab.
http://www.dawn.com/2006/04/14/nat45.htm

singaporean

April 14th, 2006, 09:22 AM

http://www.dawn.com/2006/04/14/SlideShow/pic25.jpg
Markets closed to mourn Karachi killings.

Huma

April 14th, 2006, 02:32 PM

What about another govt. IT Tower, announed by Pervaiz Elahi, last year, on Ferozpur Road? It was proposed near , I think, Garden Town, on 40 kannal with 20 stories. Is there any sign of materialisation? Can anybdy send any pics of Lahore projects thet are really under construction? I visited Lahore in December and found two under contruction plazas on Egerton Road, One is Shaheen complex and other is by another private company. But, there isnt any sign or advertise ment of Parco Tower. Moreover there isnt any vacant space on this road. So, which is the site for Parco Tower? Is it also a shelved one? Its really very sadenning

huit

April 14th, 2006, 08:27 PM

No sign of any construction at the site of Software IT Park on Ferozpur Rd. As for that Shaheen Complex on Egerton Rd., that structure has been there for at least past 6 years without any progress!

Kashmiri84

April 14th, 2006, 10:32 PM

Nothing ever seems to get done in Pakistan!!!! =(

Sania

April 15th, 2006, 06:42 AM

No sign of any construction at the site of Software IT Park on Ferozpur Rd. As for that Shaheen Complex on Egerton Rd., that structure has been there for at least past 6 years without any progress!

IT software park will be built by journg international.according to journg intl construction will start in march 2007 and project will complete in one year.

Sania

April 15th, 2006, 06:49 AM

Saturday, April 15, 2006

Fashion parade at Levi’s store launch on MM Alam Road

By Mariam Mushtaq

LAHORE: Lahoris yesterday had every reason to thank God for Friday as the weekend got off to an eventful start with the opening of the new Levi’s flagship store. MM Alam Road witnessed a veritable fashion parade as fashion enthusiasts and socialites thronged to the sprawling new outlet situated right opposite Café Zouk.

The swanky multi-storyed shop has made history in Pakistan for being the largest jeans store in the country. The plush ambience combined with a wide range of products, including footwear and accessories such as belts and jewellery make it a must-stop for all those wanting to stock up on their summer wardrobe while being pampered in luxurious surroundings. The art deco building boasts a lavish interior with features such as a Burmese walnut floor, a real New York cab door and a rare indulgence – your very own café to relax in after a hectic shopping spree. Situated in the basement, the Jammin Java Café is the perfect last stop after a thorough browse among the goodies housed in the two upper sections.

Invitees to the launch, organised by Riot Productions, were treated to a ten-minute fashion presentation of the latest collection, choreographed by former Principal, Pakistan School of Fashion Design, Navid Shahzad. Inspired by Japanese animation, the line is fun and adventurous, consisting of camouflage jeans, cargo pants in pretty pastels and comfy Ts that have become a hallmark of the brand. Asma Mumtaz of Pretty Pink used loud make-up and funky hairdos on the models to bring to life the distinctive and colourful look that characterises Japan’s wildly popular cartoon animation.

Home | Lahore

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\04\15\story_15-4-2006_pg13_5

huit

April 16th, 2006, 10:28 AM

^ that place has parking problems!

singaporean

April 16th, 2006, 10:36 AM

http://www.dawn.com/2006/04/16/SlideShow/pic25.jpg
Lakshmi building.

singaporean

April 16th, 2006, 10:38 AM

http://www.dawn.com/2006/04/16/SlideShow/pic26.jpg
File photos, depicting typical problems along Circular Road .

singaporean

April 16th, 2006, 10:40 AM

http://www.dawn.com/2006/04/16/SlideShow/pic29.jpg
The grave of the martyr of the 1965 war Maj Sarwar Shaheed in an utter state of neglect.

singaporean

April 16th, 2006, 10:42 AM

http://www.dawn.com/2006/04/16/SlideShow/pic27.jpg
No escape from pollution.

singaporean

April 16th, 2006, 10:43 AM

http://www.dawn.com/2006/04/16/SlideShow/pic28.jpg
The Ferozepur Road.

Sania

April 16th, 2006, 07:51 PM

Sunday, April 16, 2006

No more two-stroke rickshaws on The Mall

* Transport secretary says these can go to other cities
* Jail Road, Ferozepur Road and Canal Road to follow

Staff Report

LAHORE: Two-stoke rickshaws, including those running on LPG, will not be allowed on The Mall after April 17, District Environment Officer Tariq Zaman said on Saturday.

He said the rickshaws that violate the ban would be fined Rs 600.

“In next stage, two-stroke rickshaws and motorcycle rickshaws will be banned from one other road on May 17, which would either be Jail Road, Canal Road or Ferozpur Road,” Tariq Zaman told Daily Times.

He said two-stroke rickshaws would be dumped gradually and replaced with the government-approved four-stroke CNG rickshaws, to make Lahore pollution-free by December 2007. He said the government had banned the registration of two-stroke rickshaws and their manufacture had been stopped under the Lahore Clean Air Policy.

Quoting a report, he said 1200 to 1500 people die in Lahore because of pollution every year. “These rickshaws are the main cause of air and noise pollution,” he said, adding that two-stroke rickshaws were responsible for 60 percent of air pollution in the city.

Provincial Minister Rana Shamshad Ahmed Khan said in a meeting a few days ago that the Punjab government had announced a Rs 2 billion Green Fund to give loans to two-stroke rickshaw owners to buy government-approved four-stroke CNG rickshaws without interest against a personal guarantee and a Rs 25,000 down payment.

Provincial Transport Secretary Agha Nadeem said there were about 50,000 two-stroke rickshaws in Lahore out of which only 30,000 were registered.

The secretary said that two-stroke rickshaws should be sent to other cities of Punjab.

Home | Lahore
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\04\16\story_16-4-2006_pg13_2

Sania

April 16th, 2006, 07:52 PM

WASA finally cleaning canal

LAHORE: The Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) has begun a Rs 9.8 million project to restore the canal’s beauty and eliminate pollution from the inland waterway, WASA Executive Engineer Naveed Pervaiz told Daily Times on Saturday. He said the plan would be completed by June 2007 and 90 percent pollution would be removed from the canal. The city canal, which had turned into a drain, contained 24 cusecs of sewage water out of its total 350 cusecs, making it impossible for Lahoris to bathe in the canal in summer. There are about 46 points from Harbanspura to Mughalpura where drains open into the canal, and nine places where industrial waste enters it, five of them near Bahria Town. Irrigation Department sources told Daily Times that in a case filed by Eco Watch, an NGO, the Environment Tribunal had called WASA, Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) and Solid Waste Management Department (SWMD) authorities and the Punjab chief secretary on April 8. PHA authorities told the court that that the PHA only maintained parks and the canal’s banks. SWMD authorities said they had proper garbage dumping systems and refused to take the responsibility of ‘pedestrians and nearby residents throwing garbage into the canal at night’. WASA authorities said they had begun a plan to divert sewage water away from the canal while the Tehsil Municipal Administrations would take action against industrial units polluting the canal. Naveed Pervaiz said WASA had received Rs 25 million for the project from the annual budget and would get the remaining Rs 75 million in the next annual budget. He said that the 40 drains from Harbanspura to Mughalpura would be diverted to GT Road and those from the BRB Canal to Harbanspura (Diyal House, Sozo Park, Doctors Colony, Canal Bank Housing Scheme and Bhatta Chowk) had already been diverted to Sukh Nahar. He said water treatment plants would be set up at the Mehmood Booti Bund, to save the river Ravi from even more pollution. rana kashif

Home | Lahore

Sania

April 16th, 2006, 07:53 PM

Sunday, April 16, 2006

ETPB plans to raise rent for evacuee property

* Notifies tenants of raises up to 600%
* Expects a Rs 1 billion income with revised rates
* Tenants declare plan illegal

By Khawaja Naseer

LAHORE: The Evacuee Trust Property Board (EPTB) has begun to reassess its commercial and residential buildings to revise their monthly rent and lease, highly placed ETPB sources told Daily Times on Saturday.

Sources said that the new rents and leases would be effective from July 1 and the district revenue officer has served notice on 20,000 ETPB tenants in Lahore.

On the other hand, several ETPB tenants have objected to the plan and called it a violation of the Rent Restriction Control Act of 1959 and section (4) of the Evacuee Trust Properties (Management & Disposal) Act 1975.

According to commercial and residential tenants in Lahore’s ETPB buildings such as Dayal Singh Mansions, Ganja Ram Mansions and those in and around the Walled City, the Board plans to increase the rent 600 percent.

Evacuee Trust Property Board Chairman Lt General (r) Zulfiqar Ali Khan confirmed that the board had begun to revise the rent of its property and the process would be completed by the end of June 30, 2006.

Board officials added that it would evict its tenants and lessees refusing to pay a reasonable rent. Officials said the board had proposed the revision after the Lahore High Court struck down the rates proposed earlier. The rates now proposed, he said, were higher than the old rates, but still nearly 50 per cent less than those of adjoining property.

The EPTB, an official said, was now determined to charge rent and lease according to the revised schedule or eject the tenants and lessees.

The official said that the ETPB was getting only Rs 100 million a year in rent and lease for around 100,000 acres of land and 45,000 residential and commercial units in 8,143 villages, towns and cities. He said almost all of the income was spent on the salaries and fringe benefits of its 1,000 employees or more. This left no money for anything else, such as renovations.

Assessed by market standards, he said, the income would be no less than Rs1 billion a year.

Board officials said that a 12-acre stretch of land in the middle of Gujranwala had been leased out to a leather factory for just Rs 4,000 a month. Similarly, houses in big cities had been rented out for as little as Rs 50 per month. In some cases farmland was leased out for just a maund (40 kilogrammes) of grain per acre per year. In many cases shops in towns and cities were fetching just Rs 10 or Rs 12 a month. Shops, houses and flats on The Mall were rented for less than 10 per cent of the rent being charged for the adjoining properties.

Officials said that the EPTB was being denied fair rent for evacuee trust property as a result of collusion between rent collectors and tenants or lessees. The rent collectors, he said, had not only set unfair rents but were also delaying rent revision.

General Zulfiqar said that though the department has decided to increase the rent and lease, the decision would facilitate ETPB tenants. He said that the basic theme of the revision in rent and leases was to ‘rejuvenate’ ETPB property financially. He added that besides this, the board had decided to facilitate widows and orphans settled in ETPB residential property.

Asked why the revision was necessary, General Zulfiqar said that he visited a commercial ETPB property on The Mall and was told that the board was charging a monthly rent of Rs 19,000 for it. When he made his own assessment based on the actual market, he found out that the rent should have been around Rs 350,000.

Home | Lahore
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\04\16\story_16-4-2006_pg13_3

vadvaro

April 16th, 2006, 10:51 PM

Who is the moderator for this particular forum? I don't see a moderator listed on the bottom right hand corner of the thread pages. I'd like to request that they take action to prevent Sania's off topic posting on this thread. Although I find some of the articles informative, I'm having to plow through all of these general posts to find posts on project-specific info. I've seen other members request Sania stop the OT posting but he/she is continuing to do so. Suggestions anyone?

UnitedPakistan

April 16th, 2006, 11:01 PM

Hi,

I am the moderator responsible for this section.

Sania,

please report ONLY IMPORTANT INFORMATION...

Sania

April 17th, 2006, 08:05 AM

Hi,

I am the moderator responsible for this section.

Sania,

please report ONLY IMPORTANT INFORMATION...

Dont worry yaar next time I will not post any kind of information.

NewYork-wala

April 17th, 2006, 02:29 PM

The forum here is called Lahore, progress news and update... I dont see how Sania's posts are anything but relevant. They are all regarding the development of the city...

vadvaro

April 17th, 2006, 09:30 PM

Perhaps I've misunderstood the intent or thinking behind this thread.

Looking at the top of this page I see descriptive phrases that serve as a search mechanism for progressively funnelling content from general to specific topics. The last two phrases (Projects and Updates > Lahore: Progress News & Updates) have lead me to believe that that the posts in this thread (will) consist of news about specific commercial construction projects (proposed or in progress) in or around Lahore.

This has been my understanding of why this thread exists. That is why I was surprised to see posts of articles about foreign artists' performances or about the WB issuing loans for irrigation infrastructure development or improvement.

My intent is not to stop anyone from posting such articles but rather to bring notice of these articles having been placed in this thread, in error. I'd be delighted to see these same articles, albeit in slightly different threads. For example how about creating the following threads?
1. Regulatory Issues & Developments
2. Government/Civic Projects
3. Arts & Entertainment
4. Greenspace Development/Conservation
5. Compliance & Permitting Issues and Procedures
6. Construction Industry Issues & Developments
7. Professionals' Corner (challenges and opportunities facing the professions of Developers/Architects/Builders/Construcion financiers etc. in Pakistan)

This structure might help us better pinpoint the threads that most concern us.

I'd like to solicit feedback from the rest of the Pakistan board community. What does everyone else think? Your suggestions and input could help improve our little part of Skyscraper City.

UP, I've posted this message in the Lahore Projects thread because this is where the issue originated for a few of us, please move this post to the suggestion box thread if you see fit.

Regards,
Vadvaro

p.s. Sania, my apologies if I've offended you. I hope that I've offered constructive criticism in this message. The last thing I want is people feeling unwelcome to this board.

vadvaro

April 17th, 2006, 10:00 PM

Correction to my earlier post. I suggest that we create new forums (and not threads) as suggested in my prior post. Also, ignore any categories that already exist (ex. we already have a place to post entertainment related messages), or consider renaming the existing forum names.

Regards,
Vadvaro

PakiDoperz

April 18th, 2006, 05:09 AM

ill go with vadvaro

asfar

April 18th, 2006, 06:52 AM

vadvaro great to have u here...we need more people like u....sooo intelect lol

zainman

April 18th, 2006, 10:10 AM

hi please check out this thread about lahore and reply if you have any information. thanks

http://skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=8087824#post8087824

huit

April 18th, 2006, 10:34 PM

The forum here is called Lahore, progress news and update... I dont see how Sania's posts are anything but relevant. They are all regarding the development of the city...

ETPB plans to raise rent for evacuee property <--- I guess that's progress!

NewYork-wala

April 19th, 2006, 05:38 AM

ETPB plans to raise rent for evacuee property <--- I guess that's progress!
Its regarding developments taking place in Lahore, and such news however insignificant, is still part of the development going on n the city... In this case, Real estate.

vadvaro

April 19th, 2006, 11:48 AM

NewYork-wala
I respectfully disagree with you on this point. I'd rather have seen the post on the ETPB in a forum called Regulatory Issues & Developments. BTW, where in NY are/were you? I lived in NY for a long time and have accumulated a mixed bag of memories from the tri-state area.

Huit
Although I agree with you, I wouldn't have been as sarcastic; let's play nice with the rest of the kids in our sandbox now.

All
Is there anyone among our community with technical writing or project management experience? Perhaps they could weigh in on how we might improve the topic structure on the Pakistan board.

Regards,
Vadvaro

p.s. Either my earlier post has had a chilling effect or the high-rise construction market is slowing down; I haven't seen many posts lately about project development/construction progress in Lahore. I'll try to be a part of the solution by taking a few pictures as I crawl around the city with my begging bowl in front of me.
V

NewYork-wala

April 19th, 2006, 09:45 PM

^Well, the question is in definition of the term Development..
Im currently in El Paso Texas, but my home base is in Brooklyn. I live about 15 minutes drive from Coney Island avenue, or little Pakistan as some call it:)

Tagga

April 20th, 2006, 10:53 AM

EOI for the Construction of 150ft Tall BAAB-E-PAKISTAN on 24 ft high platform have been invited again so I guess that we wont be seeing any construction before fall 2006.

PakFan

April 20th, 2006, 06:52 PM

Has anybody heard anything about the Faletti's site? The silence is deafening.

UnitedPakistan

April 20th, 2006, 08:24 PM

Posted by Imran:
http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/347/page20fa.gif

malpensa

April 22nd, 2006, 02:23 AM

KARACHI: A French retail company, Carrefour, will start operating in Karachi by next year, said Consul-General of France in Karachi Pierre Seillan while talking to APP on Friday. He said that Carrefour had sent its representative to make preparations for the purpose. Seillan said that the French company would open a huge retail facility in the city. He said that a similar facility was also planned for Lahore. Seillan said that the trade ties between France and Pakistan were increasing. APP

vc15nets

April 23rd, 2006, 02:55 PM

^^^Yeah! Hypermarkets in Pakistan! :)

@UP:Great post. I hope it turns out the way it is in the render cause its lookin great. :)

vazim

April 25th, 2006, 12:50 PM

:runaway:
3:47 PM on March 15, 2006
3 more mass rail transit lines proposed

* Ever increasing traffic in city main reason for new proposal
* Green Line will start from Shahdara, pass Ravi Road, Data Gunj Buksh shrine, Lower Mall, Upper Mall, Queens Road, Ferozepur Road near Kalma Chowk, Model Town I and II, General Hospital and will end at Kahna
By Khawaja Naseer
LAHORE: MVA Asia, a Hong Kong-based engineering company, has proposed constructing three more lines for the Lahore Rapid Mass Transit System (LRMTS) because of the constantly increasing traffic in the city, senior Punjab government sources told Daily Times on Monday.
Initially, MVA Asia was given the contract to prepare the technical feasibility of the transit system's Green Line whose construction cost was estimated at about $2 billion, sources said, adding that MVA Asia had planned to design the Green Line covering an area of 27 kilometres from Shahdara to Kahna.
The four lines that LRMTS planned were based on an elevated and underground system, which would connect all areas of the city, sources said.
The elevated portion of the Green Line would start from Shahdara, will pass through Ravi Road, Data Gunj Buksh shrine, Lower Mall, The Mall, Queens Road and Ferozepur Road near Kalma Chowk, sources said, adding that the underground portion would begin from Kalama Chowk, pass through Model Town I and II, General Hospital and end at Kahna.
Green Line's proposed design included 19 stops including Shahdara, Timber Market, Bhaati Gate, Lahore Museum, Regal Chowk, Ganga Ram Hospital, Mozang Chungi, Ichhra, Wahdat Road, Gaddafi Stadium, Kalma Chowk, Model Town I and II and Kahna, sources added.
Train stations on the elevated route would be designed like overhead bridges while train stations on the underground route would have two entranceways and two exits, sources said, adding that MVA Asia was studying the London and New Delhi underground systems.
They also said the engineering company had designed the other three proposed lines. According to the design, a second line would start from Thokar Niaz Baig and would end at Daroghanwala, covering about 22 kilometres, sources said.
From Thokar, the proposed line would be elevated and would pass through Mansoora, Multan Road, Lake Road, Lakshmi Chowk and Railway Station from where the line's underground portion would begin, passing through Tezab Ahatha, Bhagwanpura, University of Engineering and Technology, Shalimar Gardens and Daroghanwala, sources added.
The third line would start from Chauburji and end at College Road, sources said, adding that from Chauburji the line would pass through Mozang Chungi, Shadman Chowk, Jail Road, Mian Boulevard Gulberg, Mian Boulevard Garden Town, Faisal Town and end at College Road, sources said.
The fourth line would start from Bhaati Chowk and end at Allama Iqbal International Airport. The line would pass through Bhaati Chowk, Brandreth Road, Railway Station, Allama Iqbal Road, Dharampura, Ghazi Road and end at Allama Iqbal International Airport, sources added. The Green Line would facilitate about 350,000 people, sources said, adding that the project's technical study would be completed by the end of May 2006. They said that to facilitate Lahoris the Punjab government had also started the Ring Road project.
The Punjab Transport Department is supervising the project while NESPAK is providing technical help on the Ring Road project. The Punjab Communications and Works Department is managing the Ring Road project.
Sources said that to avoid technical differences between both projects Punjab Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi had asked the Punjab Planning and Development Department to coordinate between the C&W and Transport Departments.
A mass transit system for Lahore has been the focus of discussion in government circles for many years. The feasibility of a light rail transit system was made by Japanese development organisation JICA in 1991 during Nawaz Sharif's term as prime minister. It had proposed a 13-kilometre-long system. The study was reviewed and updated as part of the World Bank funded "Lahore traffic and transport studies" in 1993.
The system's cost was estimated at about $400 million, but with better network coverage. In 1995 Japan proposed financing the original scheme with grants and loans of about $495 million, but the project could not be implemented due to many reasons.
Source: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\03\14\story_14-3-2006_pg7_20

P.S. how i can insert an image ??

vc15nets

April 25th, 2006, 08:22 PM

^^^Nice...but I'm totally against elevated mass transit...it will ruin the beauty and the openness of Lahore.

vazim

April 25th, 2006, 09:20 PM

^^^Nice...but I'm totally against elevated mass transit...it will ruin the beauty and the openness of Lahore.

I believe it will be mix of undergroud and elevated. Just like Delhi...

Unfortunately I couldn't find more detailed information .....

Techno-Architect

April 25th, 2006, 09:38 PM

i wouldnt talk abt the news much more untill i dont c an implementation!!

April 25th, 2006, 10:00 PM

^^ yes there have been many plans without implentations.

Scribbller

April 26th, 2006, 05:27 AM

I dont think underground railway is cut out for Pakistan, in day light law and order situation is appaling imagine what would happen underground.

Techno-Architect

April 26th, 2006, 11:28 PM

Ali Tower on MMALAM will be coming soon with 25 floors and 4 mechanical parking.....the mechanical parking will be first of its own kind to be introduced in Pakistan. LandmarkConsultants have designed it.....the design and other details are being finalised before its gonna be launched!

Landmark is now moving out of lahore, they have got projects in Gujranwala, Shahdara, Multan, DI Khan, Faisalabad.......currently they have a staff around 50 ppl.......with every 1project they launch, they catch 3-4 projects.......ive been workin as an internee there fer 3months and its really fun......

I have pix of Gulberg Arcade, PC Steel Construction pix, and im gonna visit Aashiana Centre next week with class so ill have loads of pix......but that may take time to b posted since i lack in time n they take time fer uploading.....but keep ur finger crossed!

malpensa

April 27th, 2006, 08:26 PM

"PC Steel Construction pix" whats this?

pakboy

April 28th, 2006, 12:37 AM

i have just come back from lahore and will give you news and pictures soon.

pakboy

April 28th, 2006, 12:38 AM

"PC Steel Construction pix" whats this?

he must be talking about the latest picture of pc hotel, they have a 2 floor steel frame on top of the current building and are expanding the hotel.

PakFan

April 28th, 2006, 12:09 PM

i have just come back from lahore and will give you news and pictures soon.

Good to have you back.

PakFan

April 28th, 2006, 12:17 PM

A development status report on SZC in todays' Daily Times:

Also on Thursday, the Punjab chief minister presided over a meeting to review the pace of the implementation of the Sheikh Zayed Project and other development plans in the province.

He said that the government had undertaken a number of mega projects for the socio-economic development of the public.

The meeting was also attended by Punjab Chief Secretary Salman Siddique, Planning and Development Chairman Salman Ghani, Lahore District Nazim Mian Amir Mehmood, senior member of the Board of Revenue Safdar Javed, and Pervaiz A Shahid, the chief executive of ‘Tawaan’ – a joint venture of the Dhabi Group and the Punjab government. Housing Secretary Khalid Sultan gave a briefing regarding different aspects of the project.

The chief minister said that a “conducive atmosphere” had been created in the province for the promotion of local and foreign investment. The Sheikh Zayed Complex would be constructed on Ferozepur Road over an area of 409,500 square feet, and would prove to be “a milestone” in the promotion of trade and recreational activities, he said. He said that the centre would generate thousands of jobs.

The 55-storey centre would be the tallest building in Pakistan, and would be shockproof, he said. The centre would comprise a five-star hotel, luxury apartments, a banquet hall to host 500 people and a parking basement for 4,000 cars, Elahi said. The chief minister ordered the officials concerned to complete all legal formalities for the approval for the construction of the centre as soon as possible.

pakboy

April 28th, 2006, 02:37 PM

malik riaz of bahria town has announced that he will build all 7 wonders of the world in pakistan and is starting by making the taj mahal in lahore on raiwind road.

pakboy

April 28th, 2006, 02:39 PM

szc has been approved, but they want to extend the project and make it bigger, currently they have 91 kanals and are trying to get more land.

PakFan

April 28th, 2006, 03:12 PM

szc has been approved, but they want to extend the project and make it bigger, currently they have 91 kanals and are trying to get more land.

What sort of completion date are they currently talking about?

Techno-Architect

April 28th, 2006, 06:16 PM

I would say that Malik Riaz would be doin the most stupidous things ever......reconstruct small models of the existing wonder of the world is juss to attract people to his projects and noffin else.....if he is really an admirer of architecture then he should go fer smth that would become the wonder of Pakistan....like China is currently doing rite now.....they have makin 10 wonders of new china!!

He already has copied architectural monuments from the world like the trafalgar square....architecture is not copying......architecture is innovation......Bahria should go fer smth new that would attract ppl~!

UnitedPakistan

April 28th, 2006, 09:48 PM

Please stay on topic and please do not post things that do not concern Pakistan or more specifically Lahore.

PakiDoperz

April 28th, 2006, 10:05 PM

pakboy

April 28th, 2006, 10:29 PM

well something big is coming in lahore.. today there was an add in news paper saying "Ab dekho duniya yahan sai" and had a corner of a building in the pic. so by the wording its clear its something big and tall.

dont be fooled by adverts, cos in pakistan they promote projects like there mega projects but turn out to be some tiny builing.

huit

April 28th, 2006, 10:30 PM

thanks for the updates pakboy and haawas! this thread was dying!

PakiDoperz

April 28th, 2006, 11:13 PM

but i do have a feeling this time it will be big... cuz from last 6-7 ,months i have read many times many high rises being approved but no one came up...so may be someone is comming... well this is my view may be ur right my bro

huit

April 28th, 2006, 11:40 PM

^ which newspaper was it? If it's DAWN or The News, then I believe there is a website (forgot the address) which has a digital edition of the exact print.

pakboy

April 29th, 2006, 12:55 AM

here is the model for lake city,

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v85/suhaibonline/lakec.jpg

i have 2 big huge pictures of it but the uploading websites arnt letting me upload it as its big, can someone tell me where i can fully upload all of it from.

UnitedPakistan

April 29th, 2006, 01:59 AM

www.pakcafe.com and on the left hand side menu hit forums and pakboy you remember how to upload from there...

Sikandar

April 29th, 2006, 05:08 PM

Oh God. I have not seen one residential development that has a curved road network in Pakistan. Why?! Grid patterns in residential areas are not only downright ugly, but they encourage cars to race down straight streets and is not at all complimentary to the safety of children (or adults for that matter).

Grid patterns work for DOWNTOWN. In Pakistan it's apparently the opposite!

Also, there needs to be a law that no two houses next to each other can be the same design. This is not earthquake relief, where shelter needs to be put up ASAP without any time to consider aesthetics. Pakistan needs a comprehensive and standardized city plan that is actually enforced before it goes ahead with these billion dollar projects without thinking, because you can't just change these things in the future.

pakboy

April 29th, 2006, 06:32 PM

i took alot of pictures and will upload them in a few more days.

lahore is developing stunning suburbs, when your in them it looks like youve just entered florida.

here are some pictures from bahria town, air avenue and eden canal villas.
http://www.pakcafe.com/suhaib/bt2.JPG
http://www.pakcafe.com/suhaib/aa.JPG
http://www.pakcafe.com/suhaib/bt1.JPG
http://www.pakcafe.com/suhaib/ecv.JPG
http://www.pakcafe.com/suhaib/ecv2.JPG

Lahore inner city has also improved alot with new roads being layed out and others being repaired and lots of buildings being constructed, one bad thing which has hit lahore is cars, nearly everyone has a car now and traffic is getting heavy. Another thing lahore needs is footpaths, walking on main roads is to dangerous in there.

from my last visit 2 years ago, alot of things have changed, i use to see empty pieces of land almost everywhere but now there has been a flood of investment, resturants, malls, big stores have taken these spaces up.

i really liked mm alam road, it is my favourite part in lahore, you can the the worlds best food from there.

pakboy

April 29th, 2006, 07:25 PM

Lahore has also become a heaven for shopping.

you wouldnt find cheaper designer cloths here then anywhere in the world.

asfar

April 29th, 2006, 09:26 PM

the man boulvard area of lahore is probably going to be the downtown area with a lot of nice highrise buildings....but the most ugly part is the liberty market...the whole area is filled with ugly old buildings, ugly over crowded parking, and the unmaintained park which is flooded when ever it rains...this is sadly the main market area of lahore....i think the government should demolish the liberty market area and acution the land out to private construction companies who can build malls and commerical plazas in the area

UnitedPakistan

April 29th, 2006, 09:30 PM

^ When was the last time you went to Liberty?

vc15nets

April 29th, 2006, 11:11 PM

No no no no....liberty market should not be demolished. It only needs some heavy renovation. I really like it for some reason and I feel its much better and much more unique than a mall. You can find malls in any part of the world. What you wont find is another Liberty Market.

UnitedPakistan

April 29th, 2006, 11:16 PM

It isnt even that damn bad!

The area is being modernized and park IS maintained. But it does get flooded during storms like most of the rest of Lahore.

pakboy

April 30th, 2006, 01:20 AM

from my last visit liberty market has been improved alot.

the center park has been maintained, more parking has been made. car park always has plenty of space for cars now.

and there are still ugly buildings but tons of new ones are u/c all over liberty market.

huit

May 1st, 2006, 11:29 AM

Source: http://www.dawn.com/2006/05/01/nat21.htm

LAHORE, April 30: The Lahore Development Authority governing body has allotted a 57-kanal plot in Tajpura Housing Scheme for the construction of a new Haj Complex and decided to allow relaxation in maximum height restrictions for buildings in Expo Centre in Johar Town and International Hotel site on Shahrah-i-Quaid-i-Azam.

Source: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\05\01\story_1-5-2006_pg13_2

LDA approves tall building on Upper Mall

Staff Report

LAHORE: The Lahore Development Authority’s (LDA) governing body on Sunday approved the construction of a building higher than allowed by LDA law on Upper Mall and allotted a plot to the Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) in Gulberg for a 132KV grid station.

Lahore Nazim Mian Amer Mehmood presided over the LDA governing body meeting, which was also attended by the LDA director general, various town nazims and other senior City District Government Lahore officials. The LDA governing body also approved various public sector development projects.

The meeting also allowed the Expo Centre in Johar Town, which is under construction, to be higher than allowed by LDA law. The building on Upper Mall will be constructed on the plot where the Services International Hotel stood.

pakboy

May 1st, 2006, 05:30 PM

Lahore has won the bid to hold the 2011 world cup finals. :banana: :banana:

pakboy

May 1st, 2006, 06:04 PM

http://www.dhalahore.org/EOI/FlyingIntoDHA.jpg

http://www.dhalahore.org/EOI/ThreeConstuction.jpg

malpensa

May 1st, 2006, 06:57 PM

please people stop downloading the pics from Flickr to this forum it slows and crashes the computers and is a big hassle. just provide the link. thanks

pakboy

May 1st, 2006, 10:39 PM

http://www.lahorerealestate.com/ads/public/img-1146057756.jpg

huit

May 2nd, 2006, 10:51 PM

Lahore has won the bid to hold the 2011 world cup finals. :banana: :banana:

Lahore? Where exactly have you read that? I haven't even seen an unconfirmed report!

malpensa

May 2nd, 2006, 11:41 PM

all asian countries will host together

malpensa

May 2nd, 2006, 11:43 PM

huit u should visit bbc more often

Tagga

May 3rd, 2006, 07:29 AM

Lahore has won the bid to hold the 2011 world cup finals. :banana: :banana:

Hain? I know that the final will be held in Pakistan but did'nt know it'll be in Lahore, I remember reading an article in the newspaper that said that if Asia gets to host the world cup (read it in mid of April) then the final would be held in Pakistan in the Islamabad cricket stadium which is yet to be built.

The capacity of all the cricket stadiums in Pakistan would be increased for the world cup.

huit

May 3rd, 2006, 09:51 AM

huit u should visit bbc more often

can you please link me to a specific article?

Sania

May 3rd, 2006, 09:59 AM

well world cup 2011 and chamions trophy 2008 will held in february march april.and 2011 final will be held in Lahore.

He said an organising committee of the hosts’ countries would be formed in July-August this year to decide the number of matches to be organised in four countries including the semi finals and the final. To a question, he said it was PCB’s desire to hold the World Cup final in Lahore. “It is our desire to hold the final in Lahore but a final decision will be taken by the organising committee,” he maintained. When the tournament was last held in the sub-continent in 1996, India hosted the two semi-finals and the final went to Lahore.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\05\03\story_3-5-2006_pg2_14

huit

May 3rd, 2006, 09:51 PM

^ that's PCB's "desire"... it's N-O-T final as of now! I have a feeling it'll take place in India this time around...

pakboy

May 3rd, 2006, 10:00 PM

^^^^^^^^^^
its pcbs desire cos they can host the final where ever they want cos ICC have given it to them as they have given india both semis, so i highly doubt PCB would choose an indian venue for it.

pakboy

May 5th, 2006, 01:27 AM

there is some good news that ring road has now changed back to the old route and would run from thokar to defence road.

Dallas1

May 5th, 2006, 07:11 AM

there is some good news that ring road has now changed back to the old route and would run from thokar to defence road.
And your source is …? and if its final now its a very good news

Techno-Architect

May 5th, 2006, 08:02 PM

there is some good news that ring road has now changed back to the old route and would run from thokar to defence road.

wth! cant they make up their mind.....they spend millions of rupees of the survery of roads and all before implementing a final plan.....cant they simply make a final ring road for god sakes! itz 2006 n im sure it wont complete till another 4-5 yrss!

singaporean

May 7th, 2006, 09:28 AM

LAHORE, May 6: District nazim Mian Amer Mahmood has said Glasgow will be declared a twin city of Lahore soon and Pakistani students will be offered scholarships by its city council.

He said here on Saturday that talks were in progress and an agreement was expected to be signed soon. The cities would exchange delegations of experts from different sectors after the agreement.

He said a delegation of Glasgow City Council would reach here on May 21 to interview students for grant of scholarships for study in universities.

http://www.dawn.com/2006/05/07/nat40.htm

m2sheikh

May 9th, 2006, 03:32 AM

wth! cant they make up their mind.....they spend millions of rupees of the survery of roads and all before implementing a final plan.....cant they simply make a final ring road for god sakes! itz 2006 n im sure it wont complete till another 4-5 yrss!

I believe the old design was completed by Mott Mcdonald Pakistan (MMP) and it can't be implemented without their permission. correct me if im wrong

m2sheikh

May 9th, 2006, 03:35 AM

http://www.dhalahore.org/EOI/FlyingIntoDHA.jpg

http://www.dhalahore.org/EOI/ThreeConstuction.jpg

The flying into DHA project is wrong. It was submitted without the Chief Engineers approval, resulting in his resignation. So I think we should not expect anything like this to happen

X-entric

May 9th, 2006, 05:05 AM

I believe if the ring road doesnt pass through Thokar Niaz baig, It wont be a ring road at ALL!
I hope that you guys are right and some sense will prevail among these planners mind and they will go on with the original Lahore ring road plan.by the way, when President Musharraf Inaugarated it last year, he said that project will be completed in 2 years time.I dont think even 5% of the project has been constructed as yet.how long is the portion near bund road? the old area.please update us on that.
regards.

pakboy

May 9th, 2006, 06:35 AM

^^^
the gov. is still keen it would be completed by 2007.

pakboy

May 10th, 2006, 02:25 AM

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

PC receives nine EoIs for Services Hotel

ISLAMABAD: The Privatiza-tion Commission has received nine Expressions of Interest (EoIs) from parties/groups to own and run a Five-Star hotel on prime land on Shahrah-e-Quaid-e-Azam, Lahore, which is now carries the name “Services International Hotel (SIH)” with an area of 15 Kanals and four Marlas.

The parties submitting EOIs are 1. Associated Group, Lahore, 2. Bahria Town (Pvt) Ltd, Rawalpindi, 3. Hashwani Hotels Ltd, 4. Marwat Enterprises (Pvt) Ltd, Lahore 5. Regent Plaza, Karachi, 6. SA Builders, Lahore, 7.Tri Star Group, Islamabad, 8. Noor Financial Investment Company, Kuwait and 9. Consortium of Sapphire Textile Mills Limited, Lahore.

The available clear title of the land is in the name of Punjab Cooperatives Board for Liquidation to operate a hotel. The bidders for the land shall undertake to commence construction and operate a high-rise state of the art five star hotel in an agreed timeframe. staff report

----------------

16 kanals is very small, i hope they make it very tall.

from the bidders you can see that hashwani bidded is well, so we may see the new pc hotel here or they might even be making a marriot.

from the list you can also see that alot of pakistan business want to open up hotels, the gov just needs to get its head straight and provide more land for them. i was also suprised to see bahria town bidding in this.

PakFan

May 10th, 2006, 11:25 AM

Lahore is in dire need of additional five and four star hotels. From what I can tell, the Services Hotel site would be the third committed 5 star hotel devlopment in Lahore alongside (i) the Grand Hyatt in SZC and (ii) the hotel which will be built on The Mall on land purchased recently by Prince Waleed's group, Kingdom Hotels. The situation re. Faletti's is uncertain as has already been discussed.

pakboy

May 10th, 2006, 03:58 PM

^^^

there are 2 grand hyatts coming up, other is near the airport to be built by pace.

PakFan

May 10th, 2006, 05:05 PM

^^^

there are 2 grand hyatts coming up, other is near the airport to be built by pace.

Has the site been committed to/purchased by Pace or is it just an interest expressed in the site by Pace? I find it strange that there would be two hotels from the same franchise in Lahore.

malpensa

May 10th, 2006, 07:30 PM

if they lahore price of land in ISB and Lahore u could see them almost like Dubai in 5 years.

pakboy

May 10th, 2006, 08:06 PM

Has the site been committed to/purchased by Pace or is it just an interest expressed in the site by Pace? I find it strange that there would be two hotels from the same franchise in Lahore.

yes pace had purchased 5 acres there for 100 crores. they have also out up pace flags at the site, it would have a shopping mall, apartment towers and grand hyatt.

its not strange at all if 2 are build, they have more then 1 hotels in many same citys.

Tagga

May 10th, 2006, 09:23 PM

LAHORE: The Supreme Court of Pakistan Tuesday summoned the Lahore Development Authority Director General and Construction In-charge along with the complete record of a case against the construction of a multi-storey plaza namely Boulevard Heights at Gulberg, Lahore.

The court issued this order on a petition by a local citizen, Farooq Hameed, who alleged that due to the illegal construction of this plaza, other buildings of the area were being affected.

http://www.thepost.com.pk/Arc_CityNews.aspx?dtlid=37672&catid=3&date=05/03/2006&fcatid=14

X-entric

May 11th, 2006, 12:40 AM

some people.......they just dont want to see any development. Its THEM who should be put behind bars.IDIOTS!

merijanpakistan

May 11th, 2006, 04:20 AM

Salam,

Yes, but may be the building does not conform with the codes of safty. We really don't wan't another Margalla now, do we? Its good to have a high-rise, but better to NOT have the one that is gonna be a cause of suffering for the people of Pakistan.

Peace.

PakiDoperz

May 11th, 2006, 03:04 PM

Has the site been committed to/purchased by Pace or is it just an interest expressed in the site by Pace? I find it strange that there would be two hotels from the same franchise in Lahore.

they have even started digging i pass through site daily...the work is going very fast they have nearly dug all of the ground

PakFan

May 11th, 2006, 06:44 PM

they have even started digging i pass through site daily...the work is going very fast they have nearly dug all of the ground

Would it be possible to take pictures of the site so we can get an idea of progress?

pakboy

May 11th, 2006, 07:19 PM

they have even started digging i pass through site daily...the work is going very fast they have nearly dug all of the ground

do you work at the airport?

dervash

May 11th, 2006, 08:31 PM

Digging at the site of pace near airport is not for the purpose of building. They have just sold the mud to J& K builders @Rs2.5/- per sq foot.J&K builders are making parkview roads. They have also won the contract of 9 km portion of ring road passing in front of airport.They are collecting the mud from site of PACE and storing at an open space in front of airport for the porttion of the ring road. The informations were provided to me by J& K builders.So far nodesign of pace at that site is approved. At the site govt. will not grant permission for high rise building for security of VIP planes as the site is quite near to run way

PakiDoperz

May 11th, 2006, 09:26 PM

Tagga

May 11th, 2006, 09:34 PM

This is one of PACE's upcoming projects, might be the one near the airport.

http://img139.imageshack.us/img139/2125/pacepro6zi.th.jpg (http://img139.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pacepro6zi.jpg)

pakboy

May 11th, 2006, 09:50 PM

Huma

May 14th, 2006, 11:32 AM

what aboyt Pace tower in Gulberg? has construction started?

cntower

May 14th, 2006, 11:41 AM

PACE is doing well...

pakboy

May 14th, 2006, 04:46 PM

does any one know the exact population of lahore

vc15nets

May 14th, 2006, 05:31 PM

Rapid Mass Transit System in jeopardy :bash:
The Nation
BY OUR STAFF REPORTER

LAHORE - Modifications in the Lahore Ring Road design have, for all practical purposes, turned the Lahore Rapid Mass Transit System plan unfeasible. The changes have resulted in overlapping of certain routes at a section of Ferozepur Road, experts believe.
Routes of both the LRR and proposed LRMTS overlap at Ferozepur Road - from Shama Chowk to Lahore General Hospital which according to the experts have made the execution of later plan impossible.
“LRR will be a six lane elevation at Ferozepur Road. The route of LRMTS overlaps with that of LRR - from Shama Chowk to LGH. Another elevated structure along the LRR is not possible,” said an official in the Communication and Works Department adding that two elevated structures would create serious environmental hazards besides increasing the cost of LRMTS. He said that execution of both the projects with the same alignment would considerably decrease the value of commercial area on the Ferozepur Road.
LRMTS is a brainchild of Mian Shahbaz Sharif, which was planned about ten years back.
The cost of the project at the time of its planning was estimated at 0.6 billion dollars. Now its cost has reached to 2.5 billion dollars due to considerable delay and certain modifications in the LRMTS project.
Three feasibility reports have been prepared - two by JICA and one by the World Bank.
Another study - the fourth one - is being carried out by a foreign company MVA Asia with an estimated cost of Rs 30 million. The said company started work on the feasibility report in September 2005 and it was to be completed in four months. Now the report will be finalised in August 2006 due to change in the alignment of LRR.

X-entric

May 15th, 2006, 08:04 AM

Last year, ie in 2005, I read Lahore's Nazim saying that Lahore's population is around 7 million......which is infact as much as London's.co-incidentally I was trying to check this online just last night......but different websites have different population statistics for both Lahore and Karachi.

Tagga

May 15th, 2006, 12:05 PM

LAHORE: The Lahore Development Authority’s (LDA) governing body on Sunday approved the construction of a building higher than allowed by LDA law on Upper Mall and allotted a plot to the Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) in Gulberg for a 132KV grid station.

Lahore Nazim Mian Amer Mehmood presided over the LDA governing body meeting, which was also attended by the LDA director general, various town nazims and other senior City District Government Lahore officials. The LDA governing body also approved various public sector development projects.

The meeting also allowed the Expo Centre in Johar Town, which is under construction, to be higher than allowed by LDA law. The building on Upper Mall will be constructed on the plot where the Services International Hotel stood.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006%5C05%5C01%5Cstory_1-5-2006_pg13_2
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

We still have damn height limits.

Tagga

May 16th, 2006, 07:06 AM

Ali Tower is now being advertised in papers, no building render yet, just the mechanical parking.

We are going to have a render in one or two days, it is said to be 22 storeys tall.

http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/8152/alit1sc.jpg

Tagga

May 16th, 2006, 08:26 AM

It was therefore not surprising that quite a few hotel chains have plans to build new hotels here. Foremost are a leading UAE business house constructing a 40-plus storey Tower Hotel in the city centre in collaboration with the Punjab Government and Sheraton finally taking the plunge. A number of other under-construction multi-storey buildings are being mentioned as intended new hotels without formal announcement.
But typically, Sadaruddin Hashwani, the country’s leading hotelier, who owns the Pearl Continental chain has already taken the lead. Both the further expansion of the Lahore Pearl and addition of a 42-storey Tower Hotel are already on the anvil.
The Pearl is to add 150 new rooms by early next year, 50 in the resplendent new wing and 90 in the old wing. The Tower Hotel should be ready in two years with its 470 rooms.
Pearl Lahore will by early next year have 625 rooms to retain its edge as the largest and most modern and luxurious hotel in Pakistan.

http://www.nation.com.pk/daily/april-2006/18/localnews6.php

PakFan

May 16th, 2006, 11:20 AM

I'm not too sure what their source (or the location) of the Sheraton is. By the UAE investor, I'm assuming they are referring to SZC.

Tagga

May 16th, 2006, 11:29 AM

I'm not too sure what their source (or the location) of the Sheraton is. By the UAE investor, I'm assuming they are referring to SZC.

Its not confirmed but its being said that SZC will have Grand Hyatt Lahore.

pakboy

May 16th, 2006, 04:11 PM

SZC is 60 not 40 though.

i also dnt think sheraton is coming back any time soon, cos they were suppose to build one in lahore but haswani of pc lured them out of it.

Tagga

May 16th, 2006, 07:49 PM

^^ Sheraton wanted to build a 20 Storey tower in Cantt. but the authorities did'nt allow them because of security reasons, dont know what happened after that.

X-entric

May 17th, 2006, 12:51 AM

what is this Ali tower by the way? I have never seen or heard of an automated car parking building.Is it possible? or is it just an advert of a standard multi-story car park?

vadvaro

May 17th, 2006, 10:08 AM

I'd like to know more about this proposed automated parking in Ali Tower. I'd met a couple of weeks back with one of the add'l directors of LDA and proposed automated parking for a project. I was told that LDA has, to date, allowed only one project to have automated parking. This project was conceived and constructed more than 10 years ago. Since the principals of the project did not make good on their plan to provide automated parking, LDA now takes a poor view of any proposal for automated parking. I'd also subsequently met with a couple of LDA inspectors and was told that the project approval committee had rejected another recent proposal for automated parking on the grounds that the service time for customers was far to slow to be practical. Although we don't yet know what the outcome of any future proposals will be, I wanted to add this info to the general discussion because this solution may need to be advocated again (perhaps in a different or more refined manner) until developers are actually able to prevail. Just to give you a bit of background, automated parking (mechanical movement and placement of automobiles for better space utilization) has been in use since the late 1940's in Japan and the early to mid 1950's in Germany. It is used extensively in the Netherlands, Germany, Japan and (to a slightly lesser degree) in England. It is a worthwile solution to consider for long-term parking (one entry-exit cycle >= 24 hours) and may be appropriate for application in Pakistan. I'm trying to find a way to get past the knee-jerk reactions of nay-sayers in our market. I'm hoping there are more people on this board that can add to this discussion with constructive input. I hope that Techno-Architect and I are not the only people who are actually engaged in the nuts and bolts of high-rise development. I'll try contacting the Ali Tower principals/staff to find out more about their solution and how they've pitched it to LDA. In the meanwhile I hope that someone from the SSC community can add info on this topic. I am working on multiple development tracks for my projects and it might be a while before I can touch base with the Ali Tower people. Thank you in advance for your input.

sher-e-lahore

May 17th, 2006, 10:36 AM

Garden Heights Lahore

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a381/Techno-Architect/Lahore%20New%20Buildings/AaFaT-Lahore-GardenHeights-2.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a381/Techno-Architect/Lahore%20New%20Buildings/AaFaT-Lahore-GardenHeigts-1.jpg

Garden Height Intro
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a381/Techno-Architect/Lahore%20New%20Buildings/GardenHeights-Intro1A.jpg

Tricon Site

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a381/Techno-Architect/Lahore%20New%20Buildings/AaFaT-Lahore-TriconCorporateCentreJ.jpg

Tricon Site
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a381/Techno-Architect/Lahore%20New%20Buildings/TriconCorporateCentre-Site-2.jpg

Tricon Site
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a381/Techno-Architect/Lahore%20New%20Buildings/TriconCorporateCentre-Site-3.jpg

Tricon Site
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a381/Techno-Architect/Lahore%20New%20Buildings/TriconCorporateCentre-Site-5.jpg

Tricon Site
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a381/Techno-Architect/Lahore%20New%20Buildings/TriconCorporateCentre-Site-4.jpg

Dallas1

May 17th, 2006, 11:16 AM

don't we have any body other than Nayyer Ali Dada designing Lahore’s buildings, I don’t consider him an innovative person any more same old beat up designs

PakiDoperz

May 17th, 2006, 03:04 PM

sher-e-lahore why are you posting the old pics

Tagga

May 17th, 2006, 09:12 PM

I'd like to know more about this proposed automated parking in Ali Tower.

It works like this, you park your car in garage whos floor is actually a lift, when the door closes the lift takes the car and places it in a steel structure.
So basically its like have your own exclusive garage, you leave it in a single car garage and you get it in a single car garage.

It works on machine readable cards so you actually have to have some kind of member ship to use this kind of parking (in most cases).

http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/projects/hoboken/images/image-2.jpg

http://www.maximlift.com/images/dst.jpg

Tagga

May 18th, 2006, 01:52 AM

According to an international newspaper TRUST LEASING AND INVESTMENT BANK is going to construct a 20 Storey building in Downtown Lahore (source: ASIF KAMAL the new owner of the bank, he stated this at Porsche Launch at Lahore to a journalist BTW 30 Porsches already sold :runaway: )

X-entric

May 18th, 2006, 04:30 AM

UnitedPakistan

May 18th, 2006, 05:11 AM

That is a area that has a extremely huge lack of parking spots. I always have trouble in that area.

Tagga

May 18th, 2006, 11:39 AM

So did this ALI TOWER get approval for their automated car park? where are they going to build it? I think these automated park lots are needed only in locations where land cost is extremely high and there is a huge need to save space and money.I think normal drive around parking lots are OK for now for Pakistan and Lahore specifically because we've got lot of land.........except for 'androon shehr' and shah-alami area maybe where this kind of automated systems might be needed.

We do need that and they must have got it approved that is why they are advertising it. Its not about how much land you have, its about the price of land, some dealers claim that M.M.Alam road has the most expensive property in Pakistan.

pakboy

May 18th, 2006, 05:42 PM

i dnt like the idea of that car park on mm alam road, you will need atleast 20 kanals+ to make a tower plus a mechanical car park, but you can barly find 5 kanals on mm alam road these days. there are many parking problems but with imax center's car park containing 3000 spaces it should be sorted out.

Tagga

May 18th, 2006, 08:33 PM

pakboy

May 18th, 2006, 08:51 PM

^^^^

it won the case months ago. construction has been in full flow since.

sher-e-lahore

May 18th, 2006, 08:56 PM

IMAX may not get built, Lahore High Court has held up its construction.

Tagga I thought IMAX allready open in Lahore yaar whats going on ? I don't get it can someone explane to me whats going on coz IMAX rocks .... we have so many here in the uk i think its really cool Pakistan should have them aswell.. :bash:

sher-e-lahore

May 18th, 2006, 09:00 PM

Pak sets up first IMAX cinema in Lahore

Lahore's first IMAX cinema's site has been changed from the Gaddafi Stadium to the Mini Market on M M Alam Road.

Information and Culture Secretary Taimur Azmat Usman told the Daily Times that the project would house one IMAX cinema, a bowling alley, a shopping mall and a restaurant.

The project would cost Rs. 400 million and would house two cinemas, restaurants, shopping malls, a skating rink, a science centre and other attractions.

"We have reduced the size of the project and the infotainment park will not be constructed. However, it will be functional by September 2005," he said.

There are 270 IMAX cinemas in the world, but the one planned in Lahore will be Pakistan's first. The Parks and Horticulture Authority will furnish landscaping of the project.

An IMAX theatre screen is three times larger than the standard for cinemas that use 70 millimetre high-resolution screens. The IMAX cinema's uncompressed digital wrap-around sound has a patented six-channel speaker system. (ANI)

LAHORE, Pakistan, Oct 25, 2004 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- IMAX Corporation (IMAX)(IMX) and the Government of Punjab Province, Pakistan today announced an agreement to install the first ever IMAX theatre in Pakistan. The theatre will be located in Lahore, Pakistan, and be part of a multi-function shopping and entertainment park the Punjab Government is developing. The agreement was reached on September 28th, construction will begin soon and the park is expected to open by September 2005.

"This signing is a testament to the worldwide appeal of The IMAX Experience and its ability to transcend culture and language," said co-chairmen and co-CEOs Richard L. Gelfond and Bradley J. Wechlser. "Audiences from San Francisco to Kuwait to Shanghai have been 'wowed' by our educational documentaries, as well as blockbuster Hollywood films converted into IMAX's format, and are paying a premium price for this powerful cinematic experience. We're proud to be entering the country with the support of the Punjab Government and excited to bring IMAX to the people of Pakistan."

"The IMAX Experience is drawing big crowds around the world, and it will provide a compelling reason for Pakistani people and tourists to visit our shopping and entertainment park-driving traffic to the surrounding attractions as well," said Taimur Azmat Osman, Secretary of Information and Culture and Youth Affairs, the Government of the Punjab. "The Lahore IMAX Theatre will offer our citizens a way to learn about space travel, explore the ocean floor and experience some of today's biggest Hollywood releases in the most immersive film format. We very much look forward to introducing IMAX for the first time in Pakistan."

The Lahore IMAX Theatre will serve as an anchor for a shopping and entertainment park that will include retail outlets, a food court, bowling alleys and other attractions. The theatre will be capable of showing IMAX and IMAX 3D films, feature a 12,000-watt digital surround sound system, and be among IMAX's largest, with a screen towering 71 feet high by 95 feet wide and the capacity to seat nearly 700. The first signing in Pakistan follows on IMAX's recent expansion in China, India and Russia, where consumer demand has helped fuel growth of the IMAX theatre network.

About IMAX Corporation

Founded in 1967, IMAX Corporation is one of the world's leading entertainment technology companies. IMAX's businesses include the creation and delivery of the world's best cinematic presentations using proprietary IMAX and IMAX 3D technology, and the development of the highest quality digital production and presentation. IMAX has developed revolutionary technology called IMAX DMR(R) (Digital Re-mastering) that makes it possible for virtually any 35mm film to be transformed into the unparalleled image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience. The IMAX brand is recognized throughout the world for extraordinary and immersive family entertainment experiences. As of June 30, 2004, there were 240 IMAX theatres operating in 35 countries.

IMAX(R), IMAX(R) 3D, IMAX DMR(R) and The IMAX Experience(R) are trademarks of IMAX Corporation. More information on the Company can be found at www.imax.com.

This press release contains forward looking statements that are based on management's assumptions and existing information and involve certain risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. Important factors that could affect these statements include the timing of theatre system deliveries, the mix of theatre systems shipped, the timing of the recognition of revenues and expenses on film production and distribution agreements, the performance of films, the viability of new businesses and products, and fluctuations in foreign currency and in the large format and general commercial exhibition market. These factors and other risks and uncertainties are discussed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the year ended December 31, 2003 and in the subsequent reports filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

SOURCE IMAX Corporation

Media: IMAX Corporation, New York, Romi Schutzer,
(212) 821-0144, rschutzer@imax.com; Analysts: IMAX Corporation, New York,
Cheryl Cramer, (212) 821-0121, ccramer@imax.com; Business Media:
Sloane & Company, New York, Whit Clay, (212) 446-1864, wclay@sloanepr.com;
Entertainment Media: ****** & Company, Los Angeles, Al ******, (818) 784-2130,
asn@******-co.com; Government of Punjab Province, Pakistan, Taimur Azmat
Osman, Secretary of Information and Culture and Youth Affairs, the Government
of the Punjab, 92-42-9210081, secyinf@wol.net.pk
(IMX. IMAX)

Copyright (C) 2004 PR Newswire. All rights reserved.

Copyright ©2006 MarketWatch, Inc. All rights reserved. Please see our Terms of Use. MarketWatch, the MarketWatch logo, and BigCharts are registered trademarks of MarketWatch, Inc."

Tagga

May 18th, 2006, 09:37 PM

^^^^

it won the case months ago. construction has been in full flow since.

Hmm.. Good news..

All our newspapers covered that LHC put Imax on hold but no one covered the result of the case (same was the case with PC Tower).

sher-e-lahore

May 18th, 2006, 09:55 PM

^^^^

it won the case months ago. construction has been in full flow since.

now this is good news pakboy i thought so they are working on it good i really wanna see IMAX in Lahore next year inshALLAH when i go to Lahore for holidays i would vist it check it out how they done ect ...

X-entric

May 18th, 2006, 10:03 PM

cool. so IMAX is coming finally. thats a good piece of info.
As for the parking lots, I think what we need around busy areas are drive around multi story car parks.This automated one might prove to high-tech for our khota-rehri addict desis businessmen.(they use khota-rehri as much as they can no matter how rich they get in Lahore)

pakboy

May 18th, 2006, 11:16 PM

Punjab Entertainment Company won the case in feburary, they have now covered the whole area with some silver boards but you can get a peak of construction throught the side. they still dnt have any render up yet.

PakiDoperz

May 19th, 2006, 02:12 PM

PakiDoperz

May 19th, 2006, 02:15 PM

a four star hotel getting constructed right next to the sheikh zayed center.

i think its going to be 12 story building

its going to be a private hotel owned by sheikh inam

http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/651/image1111zl.jpg

PakiDoperz

May 19th, 2006, 02:17 PM

http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/220/image1128rw.jpg

malpensa

May 19th, 2006, 03:18 PM

who and where from this sheik inam?????

PakiDoperz

May 19th, 2006, 03:34 PM

iam not realy confirmed wheter its a four star or 3 star but what he says is that its 4 star hotel. well he's a local buisnessman residing in dha lahore

huit

May 19th, 2006, 04:16 PM

well i have differnet views than pakboy i think the work on the project is still halted. before the work was goin on very fast.but for last two - three months i dont see any difference its still the old same structure

I agree with haawas... I too think that the construction has stopped! And rightly so, the government was WRONG to take-over/hand-over a land which did not belong to it!

huit

May 19th, 2006, 04:18 PM

iam not realy confirmed wheter its a four star or 3 star but what he says is that its 4 star hotel. well he's a local buisnessman residing in dha lahore

I'm sure it'll look like an ugly eye-sore next to the towering SZC...

Sania

May 19th, 2006, 07:42 PM

I agree with haawas... I too think that the construction has stopped! And rightly so, the government was WRONG to take-over/hand-over a land which did not belong to it!

last month punjab govt loses case in supreme court.sc orders to stop construction of imax.so project is halted.
however sc said that punjab govt has right to appeal against sc order.

pakboy

May 19th, 2006, 07:46 PM

^^^

where did you read that, 'the post' , said it won the case.

also there were people working on the site last month.

pakboy

May 19th, 2006, 07:49 PM

22 story 'Ali tower'
http://www.***************/pics_1%25/50.jpg

PakiDoperz

May 19th, 2006, 08:27 PM

^^^

where did you read that, 'the post' , said it won the case.

also there were people working on the site last month.

well you are talking of the news way back.,.. you are talking about the case which was won by punjab gov in Lhc BUT WE ARE TALKING ABT THE CASE WHICH THEY LOST TO SC.

SO THEY ARE IS NO CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY GOING ON THERE AT THE MOMENT

Tagga

May 19th, 2006, 08:28 PM

^^ It has 18 Storeys above ground, so Landmark consultant have still to break the 20 storey mark.

PakiDoperz

May 19th, 2006, 08:29 PM

ALI TOWER IN ANOTHER EYE SORE TOWER IN LAHORE SO CALLED SKYLINE... ITHINK THERE IS ONLY TWO TOWERS WHICH ARE WORTH DISCUSSION ALAMGIR ANS SHEIKH ZAYED CENTER. ALL ARE RUBISH

Tagga

May 19th, 2006, 08:48 PM

^^ Could'nt agree more.

These 200 footers dont make up a skyline.

Still if a building is short, it should atleast look good (Crescent bank, Tricon Corporate centre etc.) but this is'nt of of those.

Landmark Consultant are'nt very Good, can't understand how they are getting all these projects.

malpensa

May 19th, 2006, 08:51 PM

instead of making lahore like dubai ( zayed tower and alamgir) their making it look like mumbai with these hideous eyesores

pakboy

May 19th, 2006, 09:55 PM

well the designs by landmark are very nice and futureistic but they just dnt go high, and there interiors completly sux.

and malpensa i dnt want lahore to look like mumbai nor dubai, i want lahore to have its own unique look.

pakboy

May 19th, 2006, 09:56 PM

well you are talking of the news way back.,.. you are talking about the case which was won by punjab gov in Lhc BUT WE ARE TALKING ABT THE CASE WHICH THEY LOST TO SC.

SO THEY ARE IS NO CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY GOING ON THERE AT THE MOMENT

well that case was only won in feburary, can they have another case that quickly.

Tagga

May 21st, 2006, 12:07 AM

X-entric

May 21st, 2006, 10:10 AM

Sources said after agreement, the government would give 40 kanals on The Mall to Saudi Prince Talal bin Walid’s company King World Investors which would build the hotel having around 300 apartments and 450 luxury rooms.

http://www.dawn.com/2006/04/05/nat21.htm

Its Waleed Bin Talal. The 8th Richest man in the world, The bad boy of saudi Royalty.Known for his outspoken nature against the strict, religous codes of Saudi soceity and the Royalty.

X-entric

May 21st, 2006, 10:15 AM

the sports city and the new hotel news is GOOD!
wonderful. so this is a different project than Faletti's right?
I hope they DO construct the sports city as well.

Tagga

May 21st, 2006, 03:33 PM

I think sports city project will be realized as the investors are very keen to build it.

They have offered our Govt. three times the money it asked for the land.

pakboy

May 21st, 2006, 06:19 PM

do you know what will be in sports city, would it just be stadiums or will it be like the sports city u/c in dubai with high rise apartment and hotels.

Tagga

May 21st, 2006, 09:56 PM

As far as I know just stadiums, academies and may be a hotel for visiting teams.

huit

May 21st, 2006, 11:00 PM

^ and that company's name is Kingdom Holdings and NOT King World Investors... DAWN has disappointed me!

X-entric

May 22nd, 2006, 04:56 AM

hahaha, really? since Waleed bin Talal owns a multitude of companies, I thought this King world is some new subsidiary or something.Now you tell me that it is bad reporting by DAWN :)

PakiDoperz

May 23rd, 2006, 09:32 AM

courtesy TAGGA

http://img372.imageshack.us/img372/6463/projmbg2qv.jpg

X-entric

May 23rd, 2006, 09:57 AM

X-entric

May 23rd, 2006, 10:19 AM

guys, there is a little off topic question, when i try to save pics from any website, they get saved as BMP files only(the drop down menu doesnt show any other format for me to choose at all)
anybody knows how to fix this? BMP files are always in megabytes

PakiDoperz

May 23rd, 2006, 10:21 AM

well you dont need to say any thing to me praise Tagga he is the one who has done every thing i just took the link and pasted it so.. good jog TAGGA^^^^^^^^^

pakboy

May 23rd, 2006, 02:34 PM

amazing picture, where is it taken from.

lahore is looking greeeen

pakboy

May 23rd, 2006, 02:36 PM

vazim

May 23rd, 2006, 04:59 PM

AMAZING picture! well done HAAWAS!! I wonder where was it taken from.Airplane?
And it reminds me of this big building on the round about.Which has always been under construction.What is going on with it? are they planning to complete it some time soon?

And all these high risers are concentrated in Gulberg / Jail Road area........isnt anyone planning to urbanize other parts?

good point!! if you see the Mall road is already facing traffic congestion, Ferozepore road even worse, So Main Boulevard Gulberg (build & expanded by Nawaz Sharif) is the only widest 6-lane boulevard with wide service lanes even the jail road doesn't match Main Boulevard Gulberg!! Its easily accessible from everywhere, i.e. from Kalma chowk or Mall/jail Road, Gulberg & Cantt/Defence area. I haven't witnessed any traffic jams on this road for last 3-years & and its please to drive on this road.

Talking of planning to urbanize surely no one is paying any attention and its less likely in presence of choudaries (CM Pervaid elahi and city Nazim ) <--- I believe that current regime of punjab consist of very very short minded people...

and that building at Liberty chowk is near completed and I remeber seen signboard of various shops...

Huma

May 23rd, 2006, 05:55 PM

Thanks a lot lot lot lot Tagga and Haawas! I was missing an aerial view of Lahore for a long long time. I requested many many times on every forum to People living in Lahore to send some aerial pics but every time got dissappoited. Again a bundle of thanks and a heap of Appreciation for this very very nice Service. I hope anybdy will show us Devis Road view also.Thanks a lot!

pakboy

May 23rd, 2006, 07:16 PM

aashiana construction going very slow
http://www.lahorerealestate.com/ads/public/img-1148396795.jpg

rahman tower nearly complete, looks very modern but not like render.
http://www.lahorerealestate.com/ads/public/img-1148396517.jpg

big city mall, glass being fit on
http://www.lahorerealestate.com/ads/public/img-1148396466.jpg

jeff heights, construction pace has slown down
http://www.lahorerealestate.com/ads/public/img-1148396421.jpg

Tagga

May 23rd, 2006, 10:00 PM

jeff heights, construction pace has slown down
http://www.lahorerealestate.com/ads/public/img-1148396421.jpg

Looks like they are not going to add any more storeys.

PakiDoperz

May 23rd, 2006, 11:37 PM

yes i have a same view ^^^^ cause they are making water tank on the oppopsite side of the roofso i think its the end

pakboy

May 24th, 2006, 12:06 AM

maybe they didnt sell enought apartments/shops

PakiDoperz

May 24th, 2006, 12:14 AM

or may be they want to do it in phases ..

Tagga

May 24th, 2006, 12:17 AM

I dont think so. well the original plans called for a 12 storey tower, this is short by 3.

pakboy

May 24th, 2006, 12:28 AM

the third floor looks higher then the rest

pakboy

May 24th, 2006, 07:29 AM

famous mall update
seems to be going quite fast

http://famousdevelopers.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=279&g2_serialNumber=1

http://famousdevelopers.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=283&g2_serialNumber=1

http://famousdevelopers.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=292&g2_serialNumber=1

http://famousdevelopers.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=298&g2_serialNumber=1

huit

May 24th, 2006, 11:23 AM

I can't seem to understand the obsession Pakistanis have with the words Famous, VIP, Best etc. After Famous Dahi-Bhalay, we're getting a Famous Mall... watch out for VIP Tower or a Bismillah Tower in near future. :/

pakboy

May 24th, 2006, 07:48 PM

^^^

VIP tower allready under construction :)

ArchiPak

May 25th, 2006, 08:32 PM

http://www.lahorerealestate.com/ads/public/img-1148396170.jpg

http://www.lahorerealestate.com/ads/public/img-1148396271.jpg

http://www.lahorerealestate.com/ads/public/img-1148396338.jpg

http://www.lahorerealestate.com/ads/public/img-1148396588.jpg

http://www.lahorerealestate.com/ads/public/img-1148396833.jpg

ArchiPak

May 25th, 2006, 08:34 PM

Good to see that new buildings are rising up. But I want the Lahore infrastructure planners to do something about the electric wirings and towers.

vc15nets

May 25th, 2006, 09:25 PM

Lahore: The world's biggest metropolitan village

By Jalees Hazir

Over the past ten years, Lahore has grown at least more than twice to become an impressive metropolitan area housing over 8 million inhabitants. The same period saw development work carried out at an unprecedented rate. Incoherent and shortsighted, this onslaught threatens to mutilate the peculiar urban character of this ancient metropolis like no previous invader. So far the soul of the city has survived. But if the current development trends continue, it might not survive into the next century. It is that serious.

Lahore has the seeds of growing into a charming next century metropolis. Unfortunately, recent development measures threaten to turn it into an urban disaster. It is common to come across ill-conceived single development projects which have brought chaos to entire areas. The problem lies with the outdated scale on which the planners insist to continue planning, and the irrelevant administrative divisions they refuse to redefine.

Lahore can no longer be treated as a municipality. Its urban expanse has pushed into two adjoining districts and swallowed up villages, towards and farm-land around it. The tremendous expansion has made short work of all previously drawn maps and schemes which were obviously not designed to cater to this kind of growth. Many projects designed for the future are not even adequate for present needs. The time to save Lahore from the catastrophe that seems to be the fate of every large city in the region is running out. If there is no major rethinking and quick execution in the remaining years of the present millennium, it is certain to enter the next one in the company of urban nightmares such as Karachi, Delhi, Bombay and Calcutta. This, when it has everything to turn it into a metropolitan dream; everything but planners with a vision and respect for its history. It can only take an insensitive and low-intelligence set of town planners to overlook some of the most striking feature of the urban sprawl called Lahore.

The current planning strategy completely ignores aspects which should be defining it: its present size, its land and climate, and its rich history. Disregarded, these pillars of strength become monsters which threaten to blow the house down. Without extensive networks of roads and public transport which match its huge size, Lahore has become a medium sized towns, put one next to the other. It is a nightmare for people to commute between most of these localities on overcrowded vehicles traversing badly charted routes and traffic jams are common. The concentration of public offices and other facilities in the City makes it even worse. Cases of decentralization, where Registration offices or civil courts have been relocated in redefined districts, have not solved problems but have created new ones. Stripped of any civic sense the new divisions are bureaucratic and arbitrary. To be effective in what they do, the planners need to leave their chairs and board a plane. They can then begin to appreciate the magnitude of their subject. It cannot be managed if they remain struck in terra-thinking.

Only an aerial view can bring today's Lahore into focus. From above, it will be clear that the metropolitan area which makes up today's Lahore is no longer contained by the Metropolitan Corporation. Large areas which logically from a part of the metropolis fall under the Lahore, Shiekhupura and Kasur District Councils, and various town and village committees. A plethora of civic agencies, LDA, WASA, TEPA, WAPDA, the Cantt. Board, the Model Town Society, MCL, etc. with overlapping functions and no coordination, make coherent urban management even more difficult. The organization and division of administrative structures have to be radically redefined to meet the present needs. Luckily, and not because of a plan, Lahore's growth has naturally taken a sane course. It has grown on from the historical walled city and its individual burroughs have their distinct individual character. But one has to respect history to see it. A uniform spade of development cannot build these localities, it will only level them into one big slum. Each borough needs to be developed according to its peculiar physical and historical circumstances in order to restore and strengthen its uniqueness. The Inner City does not need thoroughfares and huge sewage lines.

Its civic infrastructure which functioned extremely well, before they started developing it, needs to be preserved. Its food and entertainment potential needs to be stopped. Its commercial overload needs to be redistributed. Its development concerns are very different from Gulberg (posh locality of Lahore). To the planners, however, this jewel is just another area for development schemes of limited imagination. Same is true for the City that the British founded. Before planning flyovers all over the place, may be it would have been wiser for the planners to check out the feasibility of a one-way traffic flow system in the entire area. Development which is build to the essence of a place only defaces it. And history is not the only thing that the city planners are blind to. They ignore the fact that the Lahore is situated in the middle of the most fertile plains in the world. To top it off, the areas has a climate that is ideal for growing an amazingly large number of trees, fruits, crops, vegetables, and flowers with little effort. This affords the unique possibility of urban development that can coexist with nature.

Historically, this was appreciated by foreign rulers, whether they were from Central Asia or Europe: they dug up canals, laid gardens, added to the diversity of fruits and plants grown here, and undertook intensive plantation. Though most of the pre-British efforts have been encroached upon and diminished to obscurity, the parts developed by the British are still the greenest in the City. Except for the southern stretch of the canal and isolated parks dotting some congested areas, the green tradition has largely been dumped by native planners. Though plantation is done more seriously here than in most other cities in the region, it does not match the pace of development. Planting trees along roadsides in new schemes is not enough anymore. If the green character of the City is to be maintained, large areas have to be declared exclusively for farms and forests, and no development should be allowed there. One look at how the City has developed after independence will demonstrate the necessity of such measures.

The northern and western parts of the area under the Metropolitan Corporation are the worst examples. Even along main roads are no trees to be found; the old ones have been eaten up by encroachers and new ones were never planted. In dug-up side streets and congested neighborhoods, solitary trees rise like few and far between landmarks. In the Eastern part, the new Defence is far cry from the lush older Cantt developed by the British. In the Southern Lahore, the persistence of greenery can be attributed more to unfinished development than a concerted effort on part of the town planners. Outside Cantt, this is considered to be the best part of modern day Lahore. The question is, for how long? Ten years ago, the area beyond the New Campus was agricultural. Serene villages stood amidst a sea of fields. Now residential schemes and commercial areas have gobbled up most of the fields and the villages have been turned into slums, their garbage and sewage threatening to spill into these posh localities. So far, the new schemes have many undeveloped plots here construction is yet to be done. This gives the place a look of spaciousness. Once, they are completely developed, they will be indistinguishable from the other claustrophobic older neighborhoods. In Lahore's case, history and greenery are not development luxuries. Lahore breathes with its trees. History is the heart which makes it tick. Without them Lahore would die of suffocation, from pollution that becomes more alarming every day, and violence and intolerance which are the hallmark of big cities where the streets have no names.

Source: Journalists Resource Center of Lahore.

^^^How true is this? Looks like exageration doesnt it?

Sikandar

May 25th, 2006, 10:57 PM

Maybe a couple of his comments may be heavy handed, but the majority of that article is very true. I am an urban planning student myself and it hurts to see the urban sprawl and blind development that took place in Karachi and is now taking place in Lahore. I just pray that a saviour will come along and address the major issues facing development in Lahore today. Lahore right now is at the stage Toronto was in, in the 1950s.. considering post-war Toronto development was one of the most successful and effective ever seen, Lahore planners would do well to take a look at the Toronto model (up until around 1975).

pakboy

May 25th, 2006, 11:03 PM

the problem is that private investors have just started to invest in so much money and the gov. are just sleeping, hopefully they will wake up soon and relize whats happening.

pakboy

May 25th, 2006, 11:04 PM

sorry if this isnt in lahore but its in urdu and i couldnt read it and found it on a lahore website/

http://www.lahorerealestate.com/ads/public/img-1148566406.gif

pakboy

May 25th, 2006, 11:17 PM

Lahore Canal Road to get more lanes
BY IQTIDAR GILANI
LAHORE - For ensuring smooth vehicular movement at an important city road, City District Government has intensified efforts for carrying out the project of widening of Canal Bank Road from Thokar Niaz Baig to Dharampura during the next fiscal year, sources informed The Nation on Wednesday.
TEPA is seeking inclusion of the project in the coming Annual Development Programme and allocation of Rs 500 million grant from the Punjab Government for initiating the mega project to augment series of underpasses along the Canal Bank Road.
CDG has recommended widening of Canal Bank Road to resolve increasing traffic problems at the main thoroughfare. Series of underpasses have failed to bring desired results as the cruising speed from Thokar Niaz Baig to Dharampura is between 15 to 16 kilometres per hour.
According to the sources, the widening of Canal Bank Road has been proposed to get maximum benefits from the underpasses.
“The project is proposed to get the desired benefits from underpasses. One lane will be added to both sides of the canal besides construction of hard shoulder for motorcyclists and cyclists. Direct access to any underpass from the service road will be stopped. The completion of the project will increase the cruising speed to 60 kilometre per hour,” said Chief Engineer TEPA Khushal Khan adding that plan was flexible and certain changes could be made after carrying out extensive survey of the entire stretch of road.
“TEPA is presently counting vehicles at different places to assess the load. The problem areas will be given due attention while giving final shape to the project”, he said adding that the TEPA would ensure that no tree was cut down unnecessarily. He said that widening of Canal Bank Road was in reality a supplementary project to augment the underpasses. He said that increase of one lane and a hard shoulder on both sides of the canal would not put additional burden on underpasses.
“All the underpasses have been designed to accommodate even five lanes. Widening of road is necessary to streamline vehicular flow and increase cruising speed. At points the cruising speed is even 65 kilometre per hour but at certain places the vehicles stop due to narrow road. Cruising speed is very slow between Jinnah Hospital to New Campus and between FC College to Jail Road,” he said adding that accidents have become a routine occurrence between FC College and Jail Road due to narrowing of road.
“Cruising speed between Jail Road and FCC underpasses is not more than 5 km per hour, in Campus area of 10 km, between Campus and Ferozepur Road 7 km, between Jail Road and The Mall 20 km, The Mall and Dharampura 25 km and Ferozepur Road and FCC is 30 km per hour”, Khushal Khan said, adding, that widening of road would increase the cruising speed to 60 km per hour.
He said that enough space was available on both sides of the canal right from Thokar Niaz Baig to Dharampura and there would be no difficulty in further widening of the road.
For widening the road, hundreds of trees will be needed to cut down. TEPA officials, however, contended that all the stakeholders would be taken into confidence before initiating the project.
“Trees will be cut only where needed and in even that case all the formalities will be fulfilled. Environment Impact Assessment will be carried out; workshop will be held: and all the stakeholders will be taken into confidence before starting the project”, Khushal Khan said adding that at certain places width of road could be reduced to save grownup trees. He said that trees falling in hard shoulders would not be cut down in any case. He said that trees had been marked on both sides of the canal for cutting down but for carrying out EIA. He said that majority of the marked trees were Eucalyptus, which should be cut down to stop further decrease in the underground water level.
“56 percent of the marked trees are Eucalyptus. Small trees are also marked. Grown trees, other than Eucalyptus, are not more than 100. Plan can be modified to save precious old trees”, he said adding that TEPA has the record of not cutting the trees unnecessarily.
“TEPA had carried out the projects of widening of The Mall, Lawrence Road and Aiwan-I-Tijarat Road about 14 years back. 30 trees still exists at the footpath near Governors House, 30 at footpath at the Lawrence Road and about 15 at Aiwan-i-Tijarat Road”, Khushal Khan said adding that the same practice would be repeated while carrying out the project of widening of Canal Bank Road.
The CDG earlier evaluated different options to slow down the traffic by installing signals at certain points of the ‘Express Way’ along the canal bank road. But the proposal was dropped, as it would damage the spirit and concept of the high-speed road where tunnels were built in haste and without proper planning.
http://www.nation.com.pk/daily/may-2006/25/index7.php

Master Chief

May 25th, 2006, 11:30 PM

Who else gets the feeling that Lahore is leaving Karachi behind? It's starting to look much more appealing and it looks much better planned. Lots of projects in Lahore are coming up and they are being finished fast and they actually FINISH. Unlike many projects in Karachi that are being constructed extremely slowly and many that don't even get made. Karachi also looks no where as planned as Lahore. Sad indeed. Our port city is being taken over by a non-port city :(

vc15nets

May 25th, 2006, 11:40 PM

^^^I hate to say it but its true. My parents tell me about the glorious days of Karachi and how everyone dreamed of living in Karachi, the city of opportunity at that time. I've heard stories about the liberal, professional, and peacful times of Karachi. I guess Lahore has taken over. Well Lahore always was the center of entertainment and culture, and always was beautiful and historic. Now it is without doubt well planned and quite modern. But I hope Karachi reaches its peak again:okay:. Karachi has been through a hell of a lot and it didnt deserve any of it.

pakboy

May 26th, 2006, 03:28 AM

karachi was a victim of bad planning,

X-entric

May 26th, 2006, 11:43 AM

Sad thing those beautiful, generations old trees that made driving on Canal road a pleasure are going down.But for progress and development, you have to pay price.PHA(parks and horticulture authority) is going to plant double the number of trees along Canal road.Hopefully it will be even better in a few years when the new trees grow up.

here is the news ITEM:

914 trees along the canal goin’ down

TEPA making environment impact assessment

By Khawaja Naseer

LAHORE: Nine hundred and fourteen trees of various kinds will be chopped down to widen Canal Bank Road from the Dharampura underpass to Thokar Niaz Baig.

Before chopping the trees, the Traffic Engineering and Planning Agency (TEPA) has decided to make an environment-impact assessment survey on the road by consulting stakeholders.

TEPA disclosed that 544 eucalyptuses (which formed 60 percent of the total trees), 48 cottonwoods, 105 rosewoods, 18 acacias, 29 mulberries, 24 mango trees, five peepals, eight neems, two bohris, 30 alustonias, one monsuri, seven bottlebrushes, 28 fancy trees, 26 shreens and 11 trees of other kinds would be cut. The trees have been divided into three groups: from the Mughalpura underpass to the FC College underpass (Group I), from the FC College underpass to the Punjab University underpass (Group II), and from the Punjab University underpass to the Thokar Niaz Baig bridge (Group III).

A senior TEPA official said that more than Rs 700 million would be spent to widen the road, which would ensure a smooth flow of traffic along Canal Road.

He said the agency was trying its best to cut down a minimum number of trees. He lamented that trees had been cut down unnecessarily in the past during the construction of various underpasses. The Parks and Horticulture Authority would plant double the number of the trees that would be chopped down in the next monsoon season, he added.

Environment activist Ahmad Rafay Alam said that several trees along the canal had been marked ‘X’. He said that he had written a letter to the district nazim to express his concern over the trees marked with an ‘X’. “If the CDGL or any other government or public body has a plan to work on the Canal Road, such a plan will most certainly have an adverse affect on the environment within the meaning of the Pakistan Environment Protection Act 1997 and the Pakistan Environment Protection Agency Regulation 2000,”

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\05\26\story_26-5-2006_pg13_4