LAHORE: Real estate developer and federal minister Aleem Khan has rejected allegations that his flagship housing project, Park View City, was built on encroached or illegally acquired land, insisting the scheme had obtained all necessary approvals long before he assumed public office.
In a video message released on his official Facebook page, the communications minister said the housing scheme was originally launched as River Edge in 2006 and that he acquired it in 2010. “When I bought this project, it already had approvals from Wapda, LDA, Sui Gas and other departments. I registered it under the Park View brand, and over the past 15 years it has provided quality facilities to thousands of residents,” he maintained.
The minister’s remarks came after the recent floods left Park View City submerged, sparking criticism from residents and urban planners who linked the housing society to encroachments along the Ravi River.
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‘Park View not linked to RUDA’
Aleem Khan sought to distance himself from the Ravi Urban Development Authority (RUDA), a PTI-era body tasked with executing a multibillion-dollar riverside development scheme. He alleged that while RUDA had collected billions from developers and residents, it failed to build protective infrastructure such as embankments, barrages and flood channels.
“Park View did not acquire even a single kanal through RUDA. All land was purchased directly from local owners at market prices. We neither took any favour from past or present governments nor received any official allotments,” he said.
The minister further argued that criticism of Park View’s environmental footprint was misplaced. “The RUDA scheme itself was designed for commercial and high-rise projects, not farmland preservation,” he said, accusing social media critics of spreading disinformation “for views and money.”
‘Park View members are my family’
During a visit to Shahdara to assess the flood situation, Mr Khan pledged compensation for residents whose homes were damaged by floodwaters. He emphasised his personal ties to the project, saying his parents were buried in the society.
“This is not just a business venture or a money-making project for me — this is my family’s home. All the people living here are like my family. I love the members of this society as much as I love my own siblings,” he said.
Mr Khan assured Park View residents that he would “look after them” while urging critics and influencers to focus attention on other flood-hit areas of the country. “Do not worry about Park View members; Aleem Khan is here to look after them. Instead, raise your voice for flood victims elsewhere,” he said.
Vowing that neither he nor his housing society had been “submerged by floods,” the minister said Park View City would “rise again with full strength.”
