Lahore, Jan. 11 -- A major anti-encroachment campaign launched by the Punjab government in Lahore has triggered widespread alarm after residents and environmental groups accused authorities of damaging green belts and historic landscapes in the process.

While the government claims the operation will revive the city's heritage and ease traffic congestion, activists stated that the measures are instead dismantling Lahore's ecological and cultural character, The Express Tribune reported.

According to The Express Tribune, the drive involves clearing roads, markets, pavements and areas around heritage sites to "restore the city to its original form."

However, critics said the large-scale removal of trees and disruption of decades-old green ...