Drive against illegal plazas continues

[Lahore_Real_Estate]

Tuesday, December 08, 2009
By Ali Raza

LAHORE

Demolition squads of Lahore Development Authority (LDA) continued the drive against illegal high-rise buildings here Monday, demolishing upper floors of three plazas.

The drive launched after almost two and a half years, is getting a positive public response, terming it the first government action against the corrupt and the influential.

The drive was launched on Sunday last during which the LDA officials started demolishing three high rise buildings. The buildings include Al Rehman Medical Complex on Ferozpur Road in Naseerabad area, Inam Complex on Ferozpur Road and Rabi Center on Main Boulevard, Gulberg.

LDA officials said Al Rehman medical complex was constructed on the land of Kachi Abadi which, according to the land rules of kachi abadi, can not be used for commercial purposes.

The officials said the owners of the medical complex had not the building map of medical complex approved from the LDA.

They said Inam Complex on Ferozpur Road in Garden Town area had constructed three floors without approval while the two top floors of Rabi Center on Main Boulevard, Gulberg, were constructed without building plan.

The massive demolition drive against the illegal high rise buildings was started on the directions of Supreme Court of Pakistan and LDA director general Omar Rasool. Senior LDA officials are personally supervising the operation.

Heavy contingents of police were called on Monday at Kalima Chowk where the LDA teams started demolish five top floors of Ahad Tower. The tower was owned by Malik Ahad, a known political figure in the provincial capital. He was elected MPA in 2002 on the ticket of Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) but, later, he joined Pakistan Muslim League (Q). In 2005, his son Yousaf Ahad got elected as Town Nazim of Ravi Town on PML-Q ticket.

A senior LDA official said that the commission constituted by the SCP had recommended complete and partial razing of some 18 high rise buildings in the provincial capital immediately.

He said these 18 buildings included Mega Tower (plot number 63-B, Gulberg), Ashrafi Tower (plot number 2, block E, Main Market Gulberg), Rehman Tower (plot number 9 block E, Main Market Gulberg), Jeff Heights (plot number 77, block E-1, Gulberg III), Hassan Tower (plot number 114-B, block E-1, Gulberg III), Big City (plot number 03, block E-2, Gulberg III), Harmain Tower (plot number 110, block J, Gulberg III), Mena Bazar (8 Commercial zone, Liberty Market, Gulberg III), Ejaz Center (plot number 85-A, block D-1, Gulberg III), Variety Book Center (1 Commercial zone, Liberty Market, Gulberg III), SS House (plot number 31-A, block C-1, Gulberg III), Ahad Tower (plot number 102/103, Garden block, Garden Town), Salar Tower (plot number 13, Babar block, Garden Town), Inam Complex (plot number 83, Garden block, Garden Town) and Ayesha Take (plot number 8, Babar block, Garden Town). Other than these, the commission had also recommended complete and partial demolition of buildings constructed on plot number 16, Civic Center, New Garden Town, plot number 81, Ali Block, New Garden Town and plot number 10, Civic Center, New Garden Town.

Another senior LDA official revealed that the top floor of Mega Tower was constructed without approval, while three floors of Ashrafi Towers, four floors of Rehman Towers, four floors of Hassan Tower, two floors of Jeff Heights, two floors of Harmain Tower and two floors of Salar Tower were constructed illegally and without LDA approval.

Initially, LDA officials started demolition of Ahad Tower with the help of just labourers while heavy machinery will reach the spot on Tuesday (today) to carry out the operation swiftly. The officials said that the demolition of Rehman Medical Complex on Ferozpur Road in Naseerabad area, Inam Complex on Ferozpur Road and Rabi Center on Main Boulevard, Gulberg also continued on Monday.

Chief Town Planner of LDA Mohammad Wasim while talking to The News said that the authority had prepared a complete and comprehensive demolition plan.

He said the authority was also in the process of hiring private companies for demolishing all illegally constructed plazas in the city. He said the Commission made by the SC had identified about 400 such sites and the LDA had to demolish them as per the court’s directions.