LAHORE: Several land grabbers and encroachers on Friday attacked with firearms a team of the Lahore Development Authority near the Expo Centre as it reached there in a bid to get the state land, having illegal parking lots, vacated.

Some unidentified criminals opened fire on the official vehicle of the head of the LDA team. They hit the vehicle with clubs.

According to the official sources, the LDA team first reached the Finance & Trade Centre area (around Expo Centre & Emporium Mall) in the early hours of Friday in a bid to clear it of all types of encroachments, including illegal parking lots and slums set up by gypsies. However, some people resisted the operation by quarreling with the LDA team and exchanged harsh words. At this, the LDA team returned since it did not have an adequate number of police officials.

Later, it moved to the site again after a couple of hours with police. However, this time the illegal occupants, including those running the parking lots, attacked the team. One of them also opened fire at LDA Director Sabtain Qureshi’s vehicle. After the attack, the LDA team called 15 and sought help of more police officials.

The team, however, successfully took over possession of the state land. The police also arrested three people on the spot and registered a case on the application of an LDA officer.

It merits mentioning the LDA administration had also written two letters to the Lahore police for provision of police contingent to safeguard the officials presently engaged in the anti-encroachment operations. But it got no response from the police.

LDA Director General Aamir Ahmad Khan took notice of the attack and firing at the LDA director during the anti-encroachment operation. He contacted the Lahore police high command and asked for action against the attackers.

“During the operation in the surroundings of the Expo Center, Johar Town, the mafia involved in land grabbing attacked Director of Housing Sabtain Raza Qureshi who miraculously survived as the bullet hit his car and he remained safe in the attack,” reads a statement issued by the LDA.

Meanwhile, during various operations, the LDA teams demolished several encroachments in Johar Town and sealed more than 40 illegal commercial buildings in Old Muslim Town. They also demolished illegal motorcycle stands, parking lots and other encroachments on the state land in surrounding areas of Johar Town.

Published in Dawn, February 18th, 2023