LAHORE: Reprimanded by Prime Minister Imran Khan, for not controlling mushrooming illegal housing schemes, the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) and the city police have expedited action against the rogue developers in Lahore as well as the districts of Kasur, Sheikhupura and Nankana.

Sources said police officers rushed to the LDA headquarters on Saturday after the latter complained to the premier against the police for not registering FIRs against most of total 576 illegal schemes despite receipt of references in this regard.

“During a meeting held a couple of days back, the PM was briefed about the ongoing drive against the land grabbers and the illegal housing schemes. The PM, on learning about as many as 600 illegal housing schemes developed in Lahore division, expressed anger over the LDA for not taking a concrete action in this regard,” an official told Dawn requesting anonymity.

“However, when he (the PM) was told there was problem on the part of police that didn’t lodge FIRs in most cases against the illegal schemes’ developers despite receiving many references from the LDA, he immediately ordered the chief secretary and the senior police officials to ensure lodging of the FIRs in this regard,” the official added.

However, a senior LDA official claimed the PM reprimanded police, and not the LDA, over negligence in this regard since the authority had fulfilled its duty under the rules and regulations.

“In the meeting, which was also joined by the Punjab chief secretary, secretaries concerned, senior officers of police and the LDA through video link from Lahore, the PM questioned the unlawfully developed housing schemes within the territorial jurisdiction of Lahore metropolis and the three districts (Kasur, Sheikhupura and Nankana), which also fall under control area of the LDA and the revenue limits of Lahore division. The LDA vice chairman, during the meeting, told the PM that the authority had been fulfilling its responsibility by sending a number of references against illegal housing schemes to the respective police stations. But, unfortunately, the police didn’t register the FIRs in most cases,” LDA Chief Metropolitan Planner Syed Nadeem Akhtar Zaidi told Dawn.

He said the 576 illegal housing schemes in Lahore division include more than 200 developed during 2018 and 2019. Since some were developed in 2020 too, the LDA inherited most cases from the defunct town municipal administrations (TMAs) after expansion of the authority’s control area from Lahore to Kasur, Sheikhupura and Nankana Sahib districts.

“The police have so far registered about 50 FIRs, out of scores of references we sent against the illegal schemes’ developers to them,”Mr Zaidi added.

He said during the meeting the LDA Vice Chairman also briefed the PM on as many as 300 demolition operation launched against such schemes during the last two years or so.

The CMP said after the meeting the police contacted LDA for registration of FIRs. Some police officers also visited the LDA Complex in Johar Town on Saturday, in a bid to redress the authority’s complaints related to delay in registration of the FIRs.

“There was an unusual situation in the LDA on Saturday, as a number of police officials headed by a senior officer reached at the office of VC and his staff held meeting with them in this regard,” another official source told Dawn.

Capital City Police Officer Ghulam Mahmood Dogar dispelled the impression that police alone was responsible for the situation.

“Over the period, the police have been registering FIRs in this regard. However, it is correct that many FIRs were registered during the last 2-3 days. More applications were being processed for registration of FIRs,” he said.

He said lack of interest in pursuing references or application is the main reason behind the delay in the FIRs’ registration.

“After receipt of the application, the respective police officer/station is required to record a statement of the applicant under section 154. The applicant’s CNIC copy/number is also required to be fed in the online system developed for FIR registration,” he said.

“In most such cases, the respective departments don’t cooperate with us. And reciprocally, the police officials too don’t pay heed in this regard,” Dogar explained.

Published in Dawn, January 31st, 2021