LAHORE CANAL HERITAGE PARK ACT, 2013

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THE LAHORE CANAL HERITAGE PARK ACT 2013  
(XV of 2013) 
CONTENTS 
1. Short title, extent and commencement 
2. Definitions 
3. The Heritage Park 
4. Alteration of the specified area 
5. Advisory Committee 
6. Functions of the Advisory Committee 
7. Action by the Authority 
8. Powers of the Government 
9. Penalty 
10. Power to make rules 
11. Act to prevail over other laws 
 
 
TEXT 
1
THE LAHORE CANAL HERITAGE PARK ACT 2013  
(XV of 2013) 
[14th January, 2013] 
An 
Act 
to provide for the protection and conservation of the Lahore Canal Heritage Park. 
Preamble.– Whereas the Lahore canal and the green belt s on both sides of the 
canal is a public trust and is part of the heritage of the city of Lahore; therefore, it is 
expedient to make provisions for the maintenance of a salubrious environment  and 
conservation of the Lahore Canal as a heritage park; to preserve the flora and fauna 
of this heritage park; and to provide for ancillary matters; 
It is enacted as follows:– 
1. Short title, extent and commencement.– (1) This Act may be cited as the 
Lahore Canal Heritage Park Act 2013. 
(2) It shall extend to the Lahore Canal and other specified areas. 
(3) It shall come into force at once. 
2. Definitions.– In this Act– 
(a) “Act” means the Lahore Canal Heritage Park Act 2013; 
(b) “Advisory Committee” means the Advisory Committee constituted under 
section 5; 
(c) “Authority” means the Parks and Horticulture Authority Lahore 
established under any law for the time being in force; 
(d) “canal tree” means a tree in the Heritage Park; 
(e) “Government” means Government of the Punjab; 
(f) “Heritage Park” means the Lahore Canal and any other specified area; 
(g) “Lahore Canal”  means the canal running through the city of Lahore 
from Jallo to Thokar Niaz Beg and includes the canal banks and green 
belts on both sides of the canal; 
(h) “prescribed” means prescribed by rules made under the Act; and 
(i) “specified area” means an area declared as specified area under section 
3. 
3. The Heritage Park.– (1) The Government shall, by notification in the official 
Gazette, declare an area as the specified area. 
                                                 
1This Act was passed by the Punjab Assembly on 7th January 2013; assented to by the Governor of the Punjab on 12th January 
2013; and published in the Punjab Gazette (Extraordinary), dated 14th January 2013, pages 2041-2044. 
(2) The Heritage Park , subject to such conditions and restrictions as the 
Government may, on the recommendations of the Advisory Committee, notify in the 
official Gazette, shall be open to the public for recreational, educational and research 
purposes. 
(3) The Authority shall arrange proper maintenance of the Heritage Park 
and may provide such entertainment and recreational facilities as are commensurate 
with the Heritage Park. 
(4) The expense on the maintenance and development of the green belt s 
of the Heritage Park shall be met from the funds of the Authority and shall be a valid 
charge on the Fund. 
(5) Subject to subsection (8) and e xcept with prior permission in writing 
from the Authority, the following acts shall be wholly prohibited in the Heritage Park– 
(a) construction or any other infrastructure development work , clearing or 
breaking up any land for cultivation, mining or for any other purpose; 
(b) felling, tapping, burning or in any way damaging or destroying, taking, 
collecting or removing any plant or canal tree; 
(c) polluting water flowing in and through the Heritage Park; 
(d) hunting, shooting, trapping, killing or capturing of any animal or bird; 
(e) using firearm or doing any other act which may disturb any animal or bird or 
acting in a manner which is likely to interfere with the breeding places; and 
(f) such other prohibitions  as the Government may notif y in the official 
Gazette. 
(6) The Authority shall not levy any fee or charge for access to the Heritage 
Park. 
(7) Subject to subs ection (6), the Authority may  prescribe reasonable 
charges for provision of entertainment and recreational facilities or other services  at 
the Heritage Park. 
(8) The permission mentioned in subsection (5) shall be subject to such 
conditions and in s uch man ner as may be prescribed and w hile granting such 
permission, the Authority shall, among other things, take into consideration the 
following:– 
(a) amenity value of the canal tree; 
(b) character of the area; 
(c) necessity of the action; 
(d) possibility of an affordable alternative; 
(e) mitigation measures to reduce the impact of reducing canal tree cover;  
(f) expediency of the proposal or work requiring the felling, lopping, 
trimming or otherwise cutting of the canal tree; and 
(g) environmental impact assessment of the proposed activity. 
4. Alteration of the specified area .– The Government may, on the 
recommendations of the Advisory Committee and the Authority, alter the limits of the 
specified area by notification in the official Gazette. 
5. Advisory Committee.– (1) The Government shall constitute the Heritage 
Park Advisory Committee consisting of the following members:- 
(a) Director General of the Authority; 
(b) a nominee each of the Irrigation, Environment, Local Government and 
Community Development Departments of the Government; 
(c) four persons from the civil society or educational institutions, preferably 
women having qualification, knowledge and skill relating to 
environment, heritage, planning and development; 
(d) a nominee each of the City District Gov ernment Lahore, WWF-
Pakistan, Lahore Development Authority  and the Traffic Engineering 
and Planning Agency; and 
(e) Project Director nominated by the Authority. 
(2) The Advisory Committee may co-opt any other member. 
(3) A member , including a co -opted memb er of the Advisory Committee , 
shall not be entitled to any remuneration or fee or any other charges or facilities for 
the services rendered under the Act.  
(4) The Director General of the Authority shall be the Chairperson of the 
Advisory Committee and the Project Director shall be its Secretary. 
(5) The Government shall nominate the Vice Chair person of the Advisory 
Committee from amongst the non-official members. 
(6) A non-official member, unless he sooner resigns or is removed, shall 
hold office for a term of two years but shall be eligible for re-nomination. 
(7) The Advisory Committee shall hold meetings in the manner prescribed. 
(8) The Government may, at any time, but after consultation with the 
Advisory Committee and the Authority , remove  any member, i ncluding the Vice 
Chairperson, on charges of misconduct, disinterest, exploitation or misuse of 
powers, or any other act which is detrimental to the objectives of the Act. 
6. Functions of the Advisory Committee.– (1) The Advisory Committee shall 
advise the Authority for proper upkeep and maintenance of the Heritage Park and in 
particular for purposes of– 
(a) preparation of the canal trees master and management plan; 
(b) preparation of canal trees inventory system; 
(c) formulation of policies regarding prese rvation, protection and 
conservation of the Heritage Park; 
(d) provision and promotion of entertainment and recreational facilities and 
facilitation of the people visiting the Heritage Park; 
(e) proper supervision and monitoring of the implementation of the policies 
approved by the Government 
2
[;] 
(f) awareness campaigns regarding preservation and conservation of the 
Heritage Park; 
(g) co-operation with public authorities, educational bodies and other 
organizations and persons to achieve the objectives of the Act; and 
(h) raising funds for the maintenance of the Heritage Park. 
(2) The Advisory Committee may also advise the Authority on any other 
matter ancillary to the discharge of its functions under the Act. 
(3) In the performance of its functions under th is Act, the Authority shall 
take into consideration any advice of the Advisory Committee. 
(4) The Authority, on the advice of the Advisory Committee , may refer any 
recommendation of the Advisory Committee to a department or agency of the 
Government for consideration. 
7. Action by the Authority.– (1) The Authority shall take appropriate action on 
the recommendations of the Advisory Committee within reasonable time and shall 
communicate to the Advisory Committee  the reasons for not accepting any of its 
recommendations, and the Advisory Committee may, in the prescribed manner, 
submit a representation to the Government for appropriate orders. 
(2) The Authority shall act in accordance with the decision of the 
Government on such representation. 
8. Powers of the Go vernment.– The Government may give such directions to 
the Authority as may be necessary to achieve the objectives of the Act. 
9. Penalty.– (1) If a person contravenes or attempts to contravene any provision 
of the Act shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than 
one year and not more than five years, or with fine which shall not be less than rupees 
thirty thousand and not more than rupees fifty thousand, or with both, and the weapon, 
vehicle or any other article used in such c ontravention shall stand forfeited to the 
Government. 
(2) The penalty for the abetment of an offence under th e Act shall be the 
same as for the offence. 
(3) No Court shall take cognizance of an offence under the Act except on a 
complaint in writing from an  officer or authority authorised for the purpose by the 
Government. 
10. Power to make rules.– The Government may, by notification in the official 
Gazette, make rules for carrying out the purposes of the Act. 
11. Act to prevail over other laws .– In the event of any conflict or inconsistency 
between the provisions of the Act and any other law, the provisions of the Act shall, to 
the extent of such conflict or inconsistency, prevail.  
                                                 
2Misprinted in the Gazette as “full-stop”.