LAHORE: The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) and Lahore Development Authority (LDA) jointly launched a crackdown on unlawful constructions and housing schemes in the city on Sunday.

The LDA’s town planning wing demolished Eastern Marquee on Canal Road near Wafaqi Colony and also razed adjacent structures built illegally in violation of construction by-laws. The marquee had been erected without getting the building plan approved by LDA and allocating sufficient space for parking.

The two authorities had constituted an eight-member committee two days ago for curbing construction of illegal housing schemes and violation of building by-laws and to redress the complaints pending in the ACE Lahore.

The terms of reference of the committee included finalisation of the operation mechanism, verification of the status of constructions identified by the ACE and private housing schemes as per record and applicable rules, and ensuring issuance of show-cause notices and demolition on the orders of the competent authority only if the construction was found non-compoundable and to regularise the compoundable offences.

It further included forwarding a progress report to the ACE Lahore director and to hold progress review meetings.

Published in Dawn, February 11th, 2019