* Demonstrators block Main Boulevard
* LDA says mosque built outside construction plan

By Rana Tanveer

LAHORE: Protesters blocked Gulberg’s Main Boulevard on Friday against the Lahore Develop Authority’s (LDA) plan to demolish a mosque situated in the parking lot of Siddique Trade Centre.

Dozens of protesters, led by the mosque’s prayer leader, Syed Niaz Ali Shah and its cleric, Ahsanul Haq, took to the road after the Friday prayers. They chanted slogans against the LDA for planning to demolish the mosque.

The road was blocked for more than 15 minutes, which reopened when Ghalib Market police intervened and managed to convince the demonstrators to continue protesting without interrupting the traffic.

When police tried to disperse the protesters, they started chanting slogans against them as well, resulting in an exchange of harsh words between the protesters and police officials.

However, the demonstrators backed off from the road after 15 minutes but continued to protest on the sidewalk, which lasted for over an hour.

Hindrance: Ahsanul Haq, told Daily Times that he had sent written requests – signed by more than 1,200 traders – to the Punjab chief minister, the LDA director general, and the chief justice of Pakistan to stop the demolition of the mosque. He said the mosque was not creating any hindrance in the parking lot, in fact, the space was utilised for Friday prayers, which were attended by more than 2,000 people.

On the Supreme Court’s orders, the LDA had issued notices to managements of the buildings having illegal constructions. The authority had also issued a notice for demolition of the mosque at Siddique Trade Centre.

Plan: According to LDA sources, the mosque had been built against the shopping centre’s construction plan, according to which it should have been built on the third floor.

It is important to mention here that the mosque was not built initially during the construction of the plaza. Niaz Shah, along with the traders, managed to build the mosque in the parking lot in 1998. He has been serving as the prayer leader there since then.