September 06, 2006	Wednesday	Sha'aban 12, 1427

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LAHORE, Sept 5: Shahalam Market traders have promised to dismantle the buildings declared as dangerous by the CDGL in return of a concession by the authorities under which no legal proceedings will be initiated against those who unsealed the buildings and tortured some LDA officials for sealing all shops in these structures on Monday.

“The “agreement” was reached at a meeting between traders’ leaders and district nazim and LDA chairman Mian Amer Mahmood here on Tuesday.

The traders also promised to demolish the additional flours built in violation of the building code.

Mian Amer had made it clear that there would be no compromise on the sealing of the six plazas, which had been declared dangerous by a CDGL committee. He said that the Ali Centre was in a worst condition due to removal of its various pillars to accommodate more shops and feared that it could collapse any time.

He told the traders that experts team from the University of Engineering and Technology (UET) would examine structural stability of multi-storey buildings in Shahalam and a decision about the fate of the plazas would be taken in the light of this examination report but after consulting the owners.

It may be mentioned that Haji Hanif Tayyab and Haji Maqsood Butt, both advisors to the chief minister, owned plazas in Shahalam that too had been constructed in violation of site plan and building code.

The LDA officials on Monday sealed six plazas declared dangerous by the committee. But hours after the action, the hired men reportedly of the two advisors not only unsealed the businesses but also manhandled the LDA team.

Abandoning the operation, the LDA team went to the Rang Mahal police station and waited there for six hours to get registered a case against the assailants but to no avail as the influentials prevailed their efforts.