It has come to light that the Lahore Gymkhana Club only pays the provincial government a token rent of Rs 5,000 per year.
The Lahore Gymkhana Club’s appeal against the Punjab Information Commission’s (PIC) requests for information on the land it leased and donor records were denied by the Lahore High Court.
The Lahore Gymkhana Club has a land area of 1030 kanals, one marla, and 80 feet, but its management only pays the provincial government a token rent of Rs. 5000 per year.
The club was directed by the Punjab Information Commission to provide the said information to the citizens under the laws related to transparency and the right to information, but the club refused to provide the details after which Advocate Abdullah Malik and others p. Referred to IC.
Rejecting the application, Justice Sultan Tanveer Ahmed remarked that according to the lease deed dated June 12, 1996, 1030 kanals, one marla, and 80 feet of land in the Mian Mir area of Upper Mall Lahore were leased for 50 years from 2000 to 2050 at only Rs 5000 per year. was given to
The judge further said that this land is located in the most valuable and expensive area of Lahore. The PIC estimated the value of the leased land at Rs 15 billion, which the petitioner did not deny before the court.
The property with sports grounds including a golf course was provided by the Punjab Government.
The court said that the grant of land worth billions of rupees by the state almost free of cost is a great benefit to the recipient and cannot be described as a charge at all.
The judge said that the land in question clearly amounts to financial assistance from the government.
According to a report published in December 2021, the Lahore Gymkhana has asked its members to ensure that their ‘private employees and maids’ do not enter the premises. In a notification issued on December 9, the gymkhana management said it had noticed that a clause in the gymkhana rules was being violated which banned the entry of ‘private employees and maids’.
“Members are therefore requested to please note and ensure that maids and servants are not allowed outside the car parking area,” the letter said.
Members are informed that their membership may be suspended in the event of a violation.
A picture of the aforementioned letter quickly became popular on social media, with users referring to the helper ban as a type of “colonial hangover.”
Some users of social media argued that the gymkhana club management should be punished by the government for their discriminatory practices.
