RAWALPINDI: The Rawalpindi Development Authority’s (RDA) team faced resistance from employees of an illegal housing society when it went to seal its offices and did not get support from the police.

RDA had declared Blue World City on Chakri Road illegal and went on Friday to seals its booking offices. When it removed the society’s gates, its employees tried to stop them and forced the team back when they had only partially removed the gate.

Metropolitan Planning and Traffic Engineering (MP&TE) Director Jamshaid Aftab had directed planning wing staff to conduct an operation against the society.

RDA spokesperson Mohammad Irfan told Dawn police officials of the concerned police station did not vacate the site office and did not provide proper cover and protection to RDA staff in carrying out the operation.

He said the MP&TE director has written to the city police officer Rawalpindi for the registration of a case against owners of the illegal housing scheme for creating hindrances in the performance of RDA staff’s duties and complained about the attitude of the police during the operation.

He said officials of the Sihala police station also did not cooperate with RDA staff in sealing the booking office of an illegal housing society on G.T Road, opposite the NLC Camp Office.

He said the RDA has issued an advisory to the general public to not make investments in illegal housing societies in order to avoid losses.

The RDA spokesperson said the authority’s director general Rana Akbar Hayat had directed the MP&TE Directorate to take strict and continuous action against illegal housing societies without fear or favour.

Published in Dawn, September 8th, 2018