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LAHORE – The Punjab government has planned to regularise 160 illegal high-rise plazas by slapping fines compromising its stiffest policy against demolition drive.
This is the major shift in the demolition operation launched on the strict directives of CM Punjab Shahbaz Sharif following Supreme court’s orders. The change in policy hints at halting the demolition work going on in the lengths and breadth of the City over the last month with full might.
Recently Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif rebuffed the lucrative demand of legalising the violations in plazas in return of pecuniary penalties. He said some people were of the view that fines should be imposed instead of demolishing illegal plazas but that will not be sufficient and this practice will continue indefinitely. The chief ministers said that action was being taken against high-rise buildings constructed in violation of rules and bylaws. He claimed that owners of illegal plazas in their lust for money had constructed shops even on the space of mosques. He said those supporting the owners of illegal plazas were doing so only because plaza owners were rich and have constructed such illegal plazas on the basis of their wealth. He pointed out that the staff of the Lahore Development Authority and the City District Government was equally involved in construction of illegal high-rise buildings and will be punished. However, initiative to regularise the 160 illegal high rising plazas shows that LDA and builders mafia, involved in constructing high-rising plazas, has won again.
Sources privy to development revealed that LDA had constituted a high-level committee to regularise 160 illegal plazas. LDA Director General Umer Rasool has issued the notification in this regard. LDA Additional Director General (Housing) Mansoor Qadir is spearheading the committee comprising members of provincial assembly, jurists and experts in building construction. The committee will compromise PML-N MPAs D. Seed Elahi, Mohsin Latif, Khawaja Salman Rafiq, Jursit Rafeh Alam, Architect Ahmed Mukhtar, Structural Engineer Arif Hussain and LDA chief Town Planner Waseem Ahmed Khan. The committee will take stock of the infringements in the construction of plazas and lay down its recommendations about the imposing fines.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010
By By M. Waqar Bhatti
Karachi

Following the court orders, the controversial Gizri Flyover has been opened for traffic since January 13 but the traders and area residents of the Gizri Market see no end to their misery any time soon.

During a visit to the area, traders and area residents maintained that they saw no improvement in the quality of life nor did they foresee any resumption of normal business activities after the opening of the bridge.

“The flyover has destroyed nearly all the businesses in Gizri market. For the last two and half years, the bellowing dust has made our lives miserable while business dropped to a meager 25 per cent only. Even now, construction activity below the flyover is continuing and we have no buyers,” lamented Kaleemuddin, owner of Al-Muwazil Traders, an auto spare parts shop.

Kaleem, who was reciting Holy Quran when interviewed by The News on Monday noon, said that despite the inauguration of the bridge, vehicles including busses, trucks and cars, were passing through the narrow road in front of the Gizri Market.

“The beginning of this bridge was like a nightmare for us and unfortunately even after its opening, there is no respite in our sufferings,” Kaleem said adding that he was planning to move his business elsewhere if the situation did not improve in the coming weeks.

Contrary to the directives of the Sindh High Court (SHC) as well as the conditions set by the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA), it was observed that the space below the newly-built bridge was being used for parking commercial vehicles. In addition, vendors have occupied the space and a temporary fruit market has already been set up under the bridge. Some mechanics have also started their business at the same spot.

During the visit to the flyover site, massive traffic jams were witnessed on the narrow roads leading from the Submarine roundabout to the Saudi Consulate owing to the lack of space as well as the dilapidated condition of the passage.

Mohibullah, another businessman who runs a super market in the Gizri Commercial Area said that since the start of the bridge, he was facing a loss in his income. “There are no visitors to the market anymore. We have been facing problems since this bridge was started and I don’t see any improvement in the days to come,” Mohibullah said.

Another businessman, Arshad Mahmood, who runs a garment store in the same area said that he has already found a shop in Clifton. “I am moving there as I am unable to afford the rent and utility bills of this shop owing to the mess created by the bridge,” he added.

It is worth mentioning here that SHC, in its conditional order for opening of Gizri Flyover, had directed the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) to remove all the concerns of area residents as well as meet the conditions set by SEPA in its clearance letter for the construction of the bridge.

An elected representative of the area, Ramzan Awan who is a UC Nazim of Gizri, said, “This bridge has been a disaster since its inception and even after its construction, it has not improved the lives of local people except for a few car owners who are the actual beneficiaries of the flyover.”

“People of this area have suffered for over two and a half years as dust ruined their health as well as properties. Businesses have virtually been destroyed and people are planning to move away from this area by selling their homes and shops,” he claimed.

Awan, who campaigned for three months against the bridge and even went on a hunger strike for 13 days said, “Now that this bridge has been completed, the war is not over as this bridge is affecting the quality of life of area residents.”

“We are waiting for the expiry of the deadline set by the SHC for meeting the SEPA conditions and then we will decide any future course of action. But one thing is clear, we will not allow the DHA to reduce the width of the road beside the bridge any further as it would complicate the situation for area residents and shopkeepers,” he maintained.

When approached by The News for an opinion on the matter, Director-Special Projects, DHA, Brig (retd) Iftikhar Haider said that the bridge was a revolutionary project completed by the DHA in the interest of common people, “And the people are thankful to the DHA for its completion.”

“As far as problems facing locals are concerned, we are bound to follow the directives of the court which has given us two months time to meet all the conditions underlined by the environment agency,” he added.

Brig Iftikhar said that work was underway on the bridge as well as below the bridge to remove the concerns of locals.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010
KARACHI: Sindh Minister for Industries and Commerce Rauf Siddiqi on Tuesday directed that people who were allotted plots at the Northern Bypass and Hyderabad Expansion Project had time until January 31 to pay their outstanding dues.

He said once the expiry date passed, their allotments would be cancelled and the plots would be re-allotted. He asked the department’s legal section to take immediate action against those who had not paid dues and no leniency be shown in that regard.

Siddiqi said that a large number of overseas Pakistanis were showing interest in setting up industries and therefore in the new balloting 50 per cent quota would be kept for them. Under the prevailing conditions, their interest in making investment should be warmly welcomed and they should be extended full cooperation.

The minister said that a four-member committee had been set up for the allotment of shops and houses to artisans in Mithi Artisan Colony.

He said MD Sindh Small Industries, director, consultant and DCO Mithi would finalise the names of artisans after complete scrutiny and they would be handed allotment in the first week of February.