SAHIWAL: Around 50 allotees of a housing scheme held a protest in front of the commissioner office and blocked Farid Town Road, demanding action against the scheme owner.

The protesters demanded the authorities to take the scheme owner, Muhammad Shafiq, to task for not giving them ownership rights and providing electricity, sewerage, roads and streetlights in the scheme for the last eight years.

Shafiq had developed the housing scheme, Ihsan City, on 11 acre area in Chak 96/6-R in 2008. Three-marla plots were sold out against Rs2,500 to 5,000 monthly installments.

Muhammad Latif, one of protesters, said he had bought a three-marla plot in the scheme.

“I have paid full payment of Rs240,000 within eight years but the plot is not transferred in my name,” he told Dawn.

Another protester said the scheme was developed on agriculture land and its status was still the same in official records and the tehsil municipal administration had not issued a no objection certificate (NOC) to the scheme owner.

Muhammad Ihsan, another allottee, said around 60 houses had been constructed in the scheme.

“We are poor daily-wage workers and paid Rs300,000 to Rs500,000 to scheme owner yet we don’t own the land,” Hamidaan Bibi, another allottee, said.

It is learnt there is no proper sewerage in the scheme and many houses lack electricity connection.

Holding allotment papers in their hands, the protesters demanded the district coordination officer (DCO) and commissioner to intervene.

GANG BUSTED: Ghala Mandi police busted a robbers’ gang and arrested its three members, including the ringleader, on Tuesday.

District Police Officer Atif Ikram told the media that Sanaullah Pathan gang was involved in dacoity, robbery, motorcycle snatching and street crime incidents. It was wanted by police in more than a dozen cases.

A team, under Deputy Superintendent of Police Ziaul Haq, traced the gang members through their mobile phone locations and arrested them.

Those who were captured are ringleader Sanaullah, Ramzan and Mazhar Husain.

Published in Dawn, June 29th, 2016