MULTAN: Even after the passage of seven months, the Multan police is reluctant to lodge FIRs on the complaint of District Council Multan against a person for illegal construction, Dawn has learnt.

Senior Building Inspector Javed Iqbal, on behalf of the district officer planning, submitted three applications at the front desk of three police stations - Mumtazabad, Basti Malook and Shah Shams - on Jan 25 that Zulfiqar Ali Anjam was constructing an illegal structure at Adda Billiwala, Bahawalpur Road, and that he failed to submit Rs80 million (total payable amount over the constructions in the jurisdiction of three police stations) to the department as conversion fee.

The suspect also failed to prove no-objection certificates from the departments of environment, National Highway Authority, Civil Defence and traffic engineering and the approved design from the district council.

He stated that the ongoing industrial constructions could be proved dangerous for people of the area and passersby. The respondent ignored several notices served on him.

He stated that the act of the persons/administration is fraud, deceitful, interference in the official work which is a criminal offense under the Punjab Local Government Act 2013.

The copies of these applications were also sent to the deputy commissioner, the city police officer, the chief officer district council, the director environment, the district officer regulation, the district council, the Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited and the Multan Electric and Power Company.

Sources in the district council said that no one was ready to become a complainant in the case.

They said that the fine and liabilities are roughly calculated as the actual amount is many time more.

Chief Officer District Council Shahid Iqbal said that the department has submitted applications to the police stations and now it is the responsibility of the police to lodge the FIRs.

Mumtazabad Station House Officer Khalid Amin said that the area mentioned in the application submitted at the front desk of Mumtazabad police station does not fall in the jurisdiction of his police stations.

Basti Malook SHO Qaswar Karlo said that when the application was submitted, he was the Mumtazabad SHO.

Shah Shams SHO Hussain Bakhsh said that he did not know about the application.

Published in Dawn, August 30th, 2019

Opinion

Editorial

Judiciary’s SOS
Updated 28 Mar, 2024

Judiciary’s SOS

The ball is now in CJP Isa’s court, and he will feel pressure to take action.
Data protection
28 Mar, 2024

Data protection

WHAT do we want? Data protection laws. When do we want them? Immediately. Without delay, if we are to prevent ...
Selling humans
28 Mar, 2024

Selling humans

HUMAN traders feed off economic distress; they peddle promises of a better life to the impoverished who, mired in...
New terror wave
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

New terror wave

The time has come for decisive government action against militancy.
Development costs
27 Mar, 2024

Development costs

A HEFTY escalation of 30pc in the cost of ongoing federal development schemes is one of the many decisions where the...
Aitchison controversy
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

Aitchison controversy

It is hoped that higher authorities realise that politics and nepotism have no place in schools.