Lahore HC halts Punjab move to take over Ewing Hall

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Thursday restrained the Punjab government from taking any further action regarding the 11.5-kanal Ewing Hall property belonging to Forman Christian College University (FCCU), following a dispute over the cancellation of its lease, Dawn reported.

Justice Ahmad Nadeem Arshad suspended the operation of a Board of Revenue (BoR) decision to cancel the lease and sought a detailed report from the provincial government. The court also barred authorities from proceeding further until the next hearing.

The petition was filed by FCCU’s registrar, who argued that the Punjab government had forcibly taken possession of the property on June 11 and that the cancellation of the lease was unlawful.

According to the university, the land in New Anarkali was originally leased to the college in 1915 and the lease was extended in 2018 until 2048. The petitioner asked the court to restore possession of the property and prevent further government action.

The Punjab government, however, maintained that the college had failed to pay lease dues since 1975 and argued that the land, originally allocated for educational purposes, was being used for commercial activities.

During the hearing, Justice Arshad observed that if the government intended to recover lease payments, it should have first issued a formal notice to the university before taking action.

The dispute has sparked concern among alumni, students and heritage activists, who fear the loss of a significant part of FCCU’s history. Earlier this month, reports of the government’s takeover prompted criticism and calls to preserve the site.

FCCU Rector Dr Jonathan Addleton previously said university officials were informed by telephone on June 10 that the building would be taken over the following day and were given 24 hours to remove furniture, generators and historical artefacts.

The Lahore Heritage Areas Revival Board has since denied reports that Ewing Hall would be demolished, saying the heritage structure would instead be preserved and restored, Dawn reported.