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* LBT opposes concept of high-rises altogether
* City needs preservation, not congestion

By Afnan Khan

LAHORE: Senior members of the Lahore Bachao Tehreek (LBT) have urged the government and the public to be aware of “greedy architects and builders” who were unlawfully using the movement’s name to try and stop the ongoing demolition of high-rise buildings in the city.

Speaking at a press conference, senior leaders and members of the movement demanded the government prepare a list of investors who had been scammed out of their money by builders and officials responsible for building these plazas.

Imrana Tiwana, a senior architect and member of LBT, said that some “greedy architects and builders” were pretending to be members and leaders of the movement and were appealing to the government to stop the ongoing demolition process. She said that Kamil Khan Mumtaz, a senior architect, was the motivational force behind the idea of the LBT, adding that he had personally campaigned for the demolition of these high-rises.

Against high-rises: “The organisation, which is made up of the citizens of Lahore, did not in any way support the concept of high-rise buildings in the city. Instead, they stand for the expansion of the city into the suburbs rather than congesting a few areas,” she said. “The LBT aims to campaign against all those people, architects, builders and Lahore Development Authority (LDA) officials who support and authorise these buildings in the first place,” she added. She condemned such people as “greedy money-makers who put the lives of the public and the public money at risk for mere financial gains”. LBT members said that an architect, Khalid Abdur Rehman, along with some other accomplices, was falsely claiming to be a leader of the LBT to try and disrupt and protest the demolition of high-rises. Separately, senior LBT member, Rafay Alam, told Daily Times that Kamil Mumtaz was part of the three-member Supreme Court commission, which had ordered a survey into the high-rise buildings and subsequently ordered their demolition.

Conserve: “The city deserves to be conserved and restored. The citizens of Lahore never approved the high-rise buildings that dominate the skyline today,” he said. “The LBT is looking forward to push the government to expose and punish all the LDA officers who helped build such a large number of plazas against the set rules,” Alam said.

LAHORE – Criticising the Governor Punjab’s remarks on demolition of illegal plazas, Provincial Law Minister Rana Sanaullah on Wednesday addressing a conference termed Governor Taseer’s statement as ‘unconstitutional’ and ‘illegal’. He alleged that Governor’s remarks had created confusion among the masses about the ongoing drive to raze illegal structures in the provincial metropolis, adding that his statement fell under contempt of court, as the demolition campaign was being executed on Supreme Court’s orders.
He regretted that the Governor did not follow the constitutional path by seeking information about the demolition process from the Punjab government, but instead resorted to visiting the sites where illegal structures were being knocked down. He negated the very impression given by the Governor that “through demolitions under court’s order, the City is being converted into a graveyard and will bar investors from investing and hit ordinary citizens as well.”
The Minister said that action was being taken only against 20 plazas – 12 in Lahore Development Authority (LDA)’s, and eight in City District Government (CDG)’s jurisdiction, adding that of them five were being completely demolished for committing ‘non-compoundable offence’.
“After the apex court vacated the stay orders, the provincial government was bound to implement recommendations of the (Justice retired) Kiyani Commission instituted under the court orders,” he recalled and added that the Commission had recommended action against 724 building in LDA and 474 in CDGL jurisdiction, of them 150 and 147 required complete demolition, respectively. “By accepting the Governor’s advice of just fining owners of illegal buildings, the government cannot close its eyes to the non-compoundable crimes, as weak structures may cause eventuality anytime,” Sana maintained.
For protecting interest of small investors, he informed, the Chief Minister had formed a committee under Justice ® Amer Raza Khan to see how the individuals, who had purchased shops in illegal plazas, could be compensated. He insisted that no plaza would be razed where common people were doing business, unless a way-out could be derived to ensure their livelihood from other sources. “The Punjab government is ready even to legislate on the subject as well as seeking directions from the apex court for the compensation,” he maintained.
Replying to a query, he said that 34 officials of the LDA and around 250 of the CDGL had been suspended for conniving with the plaza mafia and their cases were being referred to the Anti-Corruption Establishment.

http://express.com.pk