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LDA razes illegal shops in Lahore

LAHORE: The Lahore Development Authority's Town Planning Department has demolished the several illegal buildings in the Gujjar Pura Scheme. According to a press release, the seven shops constructed on the plot No 442-B/2 while four other shops situated on the plot No 141-B/2 and 19-B/3 were demolished. The Post

RDA declares Lake Vista Housing Scheme illegal

RAWALPINDI: Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) has declared Lake Vista Housing Scheme fake and submitted an application against the scheme owner in National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

Nauman Dahir, RDA spokesman, said Lake Vista Housing Scheme was located under the jurisdiction of RDA but it illegally got approval from Potohar Town. He said the RDA had not allowed the scheme owner to carry out development work.

Dahir said the authority had also taken notice of illegal issuance of plots by the University Town Housing Scheme located in Mauza Bajnal near motorway.

He clarified that total approved area of the scheme was 1,624 kanals and 20 percent area was mortgaged. He said the scheme had a total of 1,867 residential and 316 commercial plots and the scheme administration was not allowed to sell plots at mortgaged area.

He asked the people to be aware of illegal housing societies and avoid investing in such schemes. Daily Times

Gulberg Town administration in hot water : �Controlling illegal commercialisatio

* Inspector says task could not be completed owing to public pressure

* TMO and town officer say administration determined to eliminate illegal commercialisation

LAHORE: Gulberg Town administration inspectors and officials concerned have said that it is difficult to completely eliminate illegal commercialisation and encroachments without the support of the government and various departments concerned, including law enforcement agencies.

The officials said that the administration had been facing pressure from residents and owners of buildings, due to which it could not demolish encroached areas and arrest those involved in building commercial outlets at residences.

Not facilities: A senior inspector said that the town administration had announced the operation during the previous fiscal year, and that their teams had raided various markets and residential areas to demolish encroached parts, but could not do anything owing to public’s opposition and lack of facilities. "We neither have enough machinery to demolish the structures, nor have sufficient support of law enforcement agencies," he said.

Quoting an incident in Model Colony, he said that a team of town inspectors, equipped with small machinery to demolish illegal extensions outside various houses, had gone to the colony a few months ago, but had to face a fierce reaction from the residents who attacked the team and forced them to leave the place. "We had two policemen with us, but the residents came out of their houses and threatened us with torture for staying there," the inspector said. He said that the team had reported the incident to senior officials, who had pledged to take action against the residents, but the seniors could not do anything. "Following the incident, hundreds of residents flocked and protested outside the Gulberg Town administration office, after which the seniors had to step back to avoid more severe reaction from the public," he added.

The inspector said that hundreds of offices of local and multi-national companies were situated in residential areas of Gulberg Town. He said that most people with political affiliation and connections with powerful institutions were involved in such violations. Another inspector said that encroachers became even more powerful by joining hands. "They help each other out whenever they face any threat of action against them," he added.

Referring to the mini-food market along the Liberty Mosque, he said that most of those shops were built illegally. "Their massive encroachment has destroyed a section of the Liberty Park, as the shopkeepers serve their customers inside the park," he said, adding that the town inspectors had tried to remove the encroachments, but had to step back owing to the owners’ pressure. He said that people had set up food outlets, showrooms and boutiques at their houses, but the town administration could not even touch them without the government’s support.

Determined, but alone: Town Municipal Officer (TMO) Malik Muzaffar Awan and Gulberg Town Officer Saleem Jahangir said that the town administration was determined to eliminate illegal commercialisation and encroachments from the area. They said that support from higher authorities, especially the government, could boost up their performance.

Saleem Jahangir said that the town inspectors had registered FIRs (first information reports) against 160 people for conducting illegal commercial activities during the last year. He said that a number of people had also faced action for encroaching public property in markets and residential areas.

Muzaffar Awan said that the administration had continued the operation against violators throughout the year. He said that illegal commercialisation had increased in Gulberg Town because everyone wanted to set up offices there, as it was the most suitable commercial zone for national and international companies. "The administration is determined to control the phenomenon, and is planning to allocate a significant amount in its upcoming town budget to take action against illegal commercialisation and encroachments," he added.

CM vows to get tough with Qabza mafia

LAHORE: CHIEF Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif has said that he was not a ruler but a servant of masses and he would ensure justice for them.

Addressing an open court in Model Town Secretariat, he said the PML-N government would treat every citizen equally and the Qabza mafia would be eliminated.

Earlier, he listened to grievances of people including women and elderly in the open court and issued on the spot directions and also sought reports from departments concerned on many applications at the same time.

Most of the complaints the CM received were against illegal occupation on plots and lands, kidnapping, murder and torture on women.

The CM asked the complainants to keep him updated about the solution of their grievances. He assured the complainants that he would himself monitor their applications and if he found any negligent officer, he would take strict actions against him.

The chief minister said he would ensure proper respect and honour of women in the society. He was of the view that those responsible for torturing and humiliating women would be made an example.

He said they would bring everyone to the book no matter how influential he may be. He assured the people that he would ensure justice for poor and needy and would work day and night.

The CM who remained present in the open court for more than two hours received application from the people who reached there from different parts of the province.

Meanwhile, Shahbaz Sharif on Sunday condemned the bomb explosion in in Islamabad and expressed his grief over the loss of precious lives including nine policemen. He directed the provincial Secretary Health to provide all possible medical facilities and doctors to Islamabad authorities for treatment of injured.

He said that teams of specialist doctors carrying medicines and other necessary medical equipment should be sent to Islamabad from Rawalpindi without any delay.

He said that the relatives of the injured should not face any difficulty in getting medicines or blood transfusions. The CM directed Home Secretary and the IGP to arrange immediate contacts with heirs of martyrs and injured and it should be ensured that the heirs of martyrs and relatives of injured should not feel that they were left in the lurch.

Mian Shahbaz Sharif has also directed Rawalpindi administration to take effective steps for early recovery of injured by utilising all human resources.

Road development projects need better traffic management

Rawalpindi: While work on widening the roads of the sister cities is going on in full swing and will hopefully bring about a smooth flow of traffic, these days, it is a nightmare to commute to and from Rawalpindi. Those who do it on a daily basis because of their livelihood deserve sympathy and understanding if they are grouchy or bad tempered with their colleagues at the workplace.

In Pindi, the area where the flyover is being constructed turns into a lake as soon as there is even a modicum of rain, and vehicles have to pass through this sheet of water very carefully that slows down the traffic, as you never know if your wheel is going to get stuck into a pothole, so you follow the car ahead to remain safe!

As each portion of the road is developed, traffic is diverted to other parts that have already been semi-completed, or in some cases the old portions, so the route changes every few days. The company undertaking the work puts up thin poles with plastic ribbons as a precautionary measure and these are often seen lying on the road, knocked down by impatient drivers, so at night you have to make a guess which way to go if there is no car ahead to follow.

After Saturday’s heavy rain, there was a mammoth traffic jam near the railway bridge because all pole barriers had been knocked down and vehicles were coming every way to get ahead of others. Heavy braking caused many small bumps and crashes resulting in owners jumping down to fight it out over who was right and who was wrong, causing further confusion. In some places, vehicles had gone into ruts and were being pushed out, or had slipped over the slope and were resting precariously on the side with shamefaced owners standing helplessly.

In instances like this, no one is willing to get down and help, and because of so many vehicles, official help with towing equipment is impossible. The traffic wardens are helpless in situations such as this because no one listens to them - there would have to be a regiment of them present to make any difference!

Better traffic management will solve the problem at least by 70-80 per cent, while the concrete blocks, which were removed from the original road, need to be used instead of the flimsy poles and plastic ribbons. They needn’t be joined together but placed a few feet apart, making sure that a small car cannot get through, as these are the worst in causing traffic jams because they squeeze through the smallest spaces available and you have to let them into the line or risk an accident. Since the work being carried on will take some time to complete, these measures are a must to ensure a smooth flow of traffic in the days to come.

Islamabad is slightly better in traffic management but after the U-turn near the flyover, the authorities have allowed two-way traffic on a narrow road, which leads to Faisal Mosque. There was a real traffic mess there on Saturday after a bus got stuck in the gooey slush. Vehicles had to bypass the bus travelling over mounds of wet mud, slithering, sliding and trying to avoid damage to themselves and others. An ITP person was present who managed the situation as best as he could, and surprisingly, the drivers obeyed his signals. It shows that they have some authority and they use it. As for going by the highway that is now being turned into an expressway, it is torturous to use it due to the long lines of vehicles on both sides. They need to stop heavy traffic from plying during the day.

There is going to be more heavy rains in the days to come, so these problems need to be taken care of before there is a fatal accident or more, or someone gets the idea of suing the city administration for lack of responsibility.

�I heard a bang... then the building started sinking�

Karachi: Sixty-six-year-old Sawab Gul was one of the residents of the ill-fated house in Baldia Town which collapsed early Sunday morning. At least 10 people were killed, and 15 were reported to be injured in the incident.

Gul told The News that his two young sons, 14-year-old Shafi Ullah and 15-year-old Tafseer Ullah, were sleeping and could not leave the house when it collapsed. "I just heard a bang and before I could comprehend anything, the building started sinking," Gul said. Authorities recovered the brothers’ bodies at 10:00am. Gul identified them. The boys were taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital (ASH) around noon, but the family took the bodies back for the funeral without a post-mortem.

Gul’s daughter-in-law, 24-year-old Subhana, also died when the house collapsed, while Gul himself, his wife Gul Zaib, daughters Shahnaz and Sarfarzana, sons Saif Ullah and Zahid Ullah and another daughter-in-law were injured. "I have no regrets. I believe in the Almighty. I have accepted my loss because it was a test from the Almighty," he said.

Along with the other injured people, Gul’s family was shifted to the Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK), but they returned to the area early in the morning after the administration of first-aid.

Kaki Khan, the owner of the house, was in trauma following the incident. He went home after getting medical treatment but was not in a condition to talk to journalists. His son, M. Ibrahim, sustained leg injuries.

Khan’s relatives said that both of Ibrahim’s legs were fractured. He worked as a mechanic in a private workshop. Khan’s other son, Ghaffar, studied in class 8. Both boys were asleep on the second floor when the building collapsed.

The CHK told The News that six bodies, and 11 injured people were brought to the hospital. The dead were identified as 20-year-old Shan, two-year-old Haris, 70-year-old Mah Gul, 15-year-old Bahram Shahzada, 20-year-old Subhana (whose family said she was 24), 22-year-old Ghaffar, eight-year-old Saeed Murtaza, and 17-year-old Mushtaq.

Those wounded in the incident included Sumera, Shahnaz, M. Amin, Saif Ullah, Zahid Ullah, Sawab Gul, Gul Zaib, Anar Bibi, Maqsood, Shafique, Tehseen, Shehnaz Begam, Sarfaraz, Qadir, M. Ibrahim Kaki, and Hussain Wali.

"The water from the underground tank of the house under construction (adjacent to Kaki Khan’s house) flooded Kaki’s house and damaged the columns and the foundations of the house," Shahbaz, a neighbour who works at a local catering centre, said. He added that when Khan’s house started collapsing, the back portion of the house fell on the empty, under-construction house too.

Wali Muhammad, a relative of Sawab Gul’s, said that rescue work was badly affected due to the narrow lanes in the colony. Muhammad, a salesman by profession and a resident of Baldia Sector 5-1/2, added that the authorities had asked one of the neighbours to allow their staff to demolish one of his rooms for the tractors and trucks to move easily to the affected site. The neighbour however refused, due to which the pace of relief work slowed down considerably.

Muhammad alleged that if the neighbour had helped officials, more lives could have been saved.

MNA Khwaja Sohail Mansoor and MPA Hanif Shaikh from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) also visited the area and monitored relief work.

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�Paradise Package� illegal: KBCA

Karachi Building Control Authority (KBCA) has declared the project “Paradise Package” illegitimate and has warned the general public not to be engaged in the trading of the said project. In a press statement issued here on Saturday, KBCA has disclosed that the said project built on Plot No FL-4 in Surjani Town’s sector 4-A is illegal. According to the details, in 1996 and 2000, the NOC for the same plot was obtained in the name of “Shahkar Avenue.” Now, M/S Atlas Builders and Developers have started booking shops and residential flats of the project with a new name Paradise Package. Since this is an open violation of the building control laws, the authority has asked the concerned builders for an explanation. Meanwhile on the directives of the Chief Controller of Buildings (CCOB), Manzoor Qadir, the KBCA demolition squad has razed illegal constructions in various localities of the city. In Gulshan-e-Iqbal town, the squad pulled down the ceiling and RCC Columns of the third floor on Plot No 207, Bahadurabad Jung, CHS Block 3, KCHS while demolished rooms in Plots No C-41 and C-64, Block 15, Gulistan-e-Jauhar. In Jamshed Town, un authorused construction on Plot No 26-U, Plot No 26-O and Plot No 2-F in PECHS Block 2 has been razed. The team has also razed the second floor roof on Plot No 27, Bahar Colony and the illegal shop built on the ground floor in Plot No195/2-E, Garden East.

Yasin Town residents demand civic services

LAHORE: DILAPIDATED and inundated road of Yasin Town, a locality along Ghazi Road has failed to draw the attention of both the Cantonment Board and elected parliamentarians as none of them turned to improve badly broken sewerage and road network in the area, which is only a kilometre away from the posh Defence Housing Authority. It clearly shows the apathy of the Cantonment Board and the elected representatives to the national and provincial assemblies, who never visited the area to alleviate miseries of residents of Yasin Town and its entrance link of Millat Road, where nearly 10,000 people lives. Responsibility to fix things in the locality rests with the Cantonment Board and the parliamentarians belonging to the PML-N, in the absence of Local Government representatives as the LG elections were not held in the areas in the jurisdiction of the Cantonment Boards. The sewerage in the Yasin Town is completely dilapidated and chocked, and neither the sewerage nor the roads network has been improved after being constructed at the inception of this residential locality, over two decades ago. The residents of the area had complained that the roads had become a permanent nuisance. They said the broken sewerage was not only causing inconvenience but also spreading viral and water-borne diseases among the residents as sewage was being mixed with drinking water. They stated that it would be useless to construct roads without laying new sewerage in the area. Is it so hard for the authorities to understand or are we, the citizens, blinded to see that we are being denied the basic needs. Still we cannot protest. If the roads are broken and filthy to this extent during dry season, condition of the same can be very well imagined during monsoons. They will be converted them into stinking ponds of water. They said that PML-N MNA Khawaja Saad Rafique (NA-125) and MPA Mian Naseer Ahmad, (PP-155) had been elected from this constituency with a heavy mandate during February 18 general elections not just to do politics on the judges issue, but also to resolve basic problems of the people of these areas.

CDGL stops drive against encroachments

LAHORE: AFTER succumbing to political pressure, the City District Government Lahore (CDGL) has stopped its drive against encroachments in the provincial capital. The drive was initiated by the concerned department of the CDGL, the LDA and the Town Administrations to show their efficiency after the new governmentís coming into power. One can witness a large number of temporary encroachments along the roads and footpaths. The encroachments are usually termed as a regular feature of the city and the Lahorites say they can not be removed. Most of the people think the CDGL and the Town Administrations have given a free hand to the encroachers for various reasons including the political influence and monthly. Recently, the District Coordination Officer (DCO) Lahore held a meeting of TMOs, DOs and other government officers. The meeting was attended by all the MNAs and MPAs of the PML-N. The MNAs and MPAs asked the DCO to direct all the concerned departments to stop conducting any anti-encroachment drive in the constituencies of the elected representatives. CDGL is responsible for maintenance of 32 major city roads, which includes The Mall, Lower Mall, Multan Road, Ferozpur Road, Wahdat Road, Bund Road, Ravi Road, Circular Road, Bank Road, Mcleod Road, Nisbat Road, Abbot Road, Empress Road, Allama Iqbal Road, GT Road, Queen Marry Road, Copper Road, Agertain Road, Race Course Road, Jail Road, Lake Road, Islampura Road, Lytton Road, Temple Road, Mozang Road, Lawrance Road, Hall Road, Davis Road, Brandreth Road, Shalimar Link Road and Canal Bank Road. Removing any permanent or temporary encroachment from these roads is the direct responsibility of the CDGL. On majority of the roads, the encroachers have either occupied footpaths or the side-roads for running their business activities. The encroachers also use very harsh language with the pedestrian as well as passers-by in case they object to the illegal occupation. Besides permanent and temporary encroachments, many illegal parking stands, both for motorcycles and cars, have been established with the ‘blessings’ of the CDGL as well as the Town Administrations. The Hall Road, Montgomery Road, Ravi Road, Abbot Road and Davis Road are clear examples in this regard. Temporary encroachments also included the small vendors who sell their products on roads, footpaths and side roads by occupying a space. Majority of the vendors are especially food items. Likewise on PECO Road, a number of restaurants have setup their Bar-B-Q and sitting arrangement. Gulberg Town administration repeatedly conducted operations against the restaurants but their owners are more powerful. On Ferozpur Road near Ichra, the vendors of used-clothes have encroached upon the side road and no vehicle can pas son the road. On the main road, Faisal Town tyre sellers have displayed their stocks on the road. The same kind of scenes can be witnessed on various city roads especially in posh localities like Cantt, Gulberg and Defence. In Samanabad and Gulshan-e-Ravi area, sellers of used cars have encroached upon the main road as well as the side roads. On Jail Road, the car showrooms are also doing the same practice. On Lytton Road, rickshaw and motorcycle mechanics are doing their business outside their shops while the road is also occupied by the flower sellers. Mauj-e-Darya Road is occupied by the fruit sellers while the Old Anarkali. When contacted, the operator of District Coordination Officer (DCO) Lahore said he was not available for comments and was busy at the airport.