Lahore: Discrimination at Askari Flats

[LahoreEstate]

Saturday, July 11, 2009
By Our Correspondent

LAHORE

THE administration of Askari Flats in Bridge Colony has allowed favourites to install gates and other structures to cover their lawns and backyards while demolished similar structures raised by other residents.

The victims of Askari flats administration’s discriminatory attitude also face threatening calls by administration consisting mostly of retired army officials who claim that they have links with the Lahore Station Commander.

The issue was reported to the press by a resident, Sadia Murtaza, a journalist working with Radio Pakistan. Sadia, a resident of 18 B, Askari Flats, told The News that she lived in a flat with her mother.

She said she used to take her mother to walk in the ground in front of her flat and decided to install a temporary wooden fence to preserve her privacy. She said a large number of residents living in flats had covered their lawns or backyards with such fences while many had installed steel gates.

She said some days ago she got the fence installed and took her mother to hospital. She said when she returned she was shocked to see that the fence was not there. She said on probing she came to know that Maj (retd) Muhammad Usman came there and uprooted the fence. She claimed that Maj (retd) Usman claimed himself as the secretary of the Askari Flats administration but officially he did not have any office because the present administration of the society had completed its tenure.

She said she lodged a formal complaint to the South Cant Police Station which cooperated with her but no case was registered so far against the nominated accused. She said she also filed an application to the Chief Minister’s Complaint Cell and an inquiry of the matter was going on.

Sadia has appealed to the Punjab Chief Minister and army officials concerned to take action against Maj (Retd) Usman and other society officials for harassing her and stealing her fence. She said all other fences and gates should also be removed from the society immediately.

When contacted, President of Askari Flats administration Col (retd) Taqi said as per the society’s bylaws, on one was allowed to cover the front or back lawns.

He said Sadia had erecting a fence and the act was against the society’s bylaws. About a question that Maj (retd) Usman broke the fence and took it away, he said only a mild warning was given to Sadia. Over another question that many other residents have covered their lawns or backyards by installing gates, he said no such gate or fence was installed in the society.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=187482