LAHORE: The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) on Friday sealed a major private sector university near Johar Town for allegedly carrying out illegal construction and occupying the state land measuring 18 kanals and making it a part of its building plans.

An LDA team, headed by a deputy director and accompanied by police, sealed the all 11 gates (entry/exit points) of the university, warning the administration to stop constructions and refrain from opening/de-sealing the gates on its own.

“The extreme action of sealing the university (The University of Management and Technology) was the only option left with us since the administration has been in practice of carrying out illegal constructions in violation of the rules and regulations. We finally took a decision to seal it,” an LDA officer told Dawn.

Varsity rejects charges

The university, according to a recent report sent by the LDA to the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE), falls in a private housing scheme, namely Gulshan-i-Mustafa, on a land measuring 507 kanals that was already approved by LDA on Aug 4, 1980. The land of the scheme bears khasra numbers 318, 319, 320, 399, 400, 401, 415, 424, 425, 426, 428/1, 428/2/2, 428/2/1 and 429 of Mauza Ajudiapur, Lahore.

The mortgage/transfer deed of said scheme was registered with the office of sub-registrar Iqbal Town on July 28, 1980, and the area under the open spaces, roads, public buildings, graveyard was transferred free of charge by the sponsor in favour of the LDA. This scheme was thereafter adjusted in Johar Town.

The report reveals that the management of the UMT (formerly the Institute of Leadership Management) had applied for approval of a building plan of a boundary wall on the land measuring 124 kanal and 19 marla bearing Khasra No 428/2/1 and Khasra No 428/2/2, Mauza Ajudiapur in 2001. As per information of the Chief Metropolitan Planner’s cell, the Khasra No 428, Mauza Ajudiapur was already included in a private housing scheme–Gulshan-i-Mustafa Housing Scheme. Due to this reason, the building plan could not be processed/sanctioned. Accordingly, the applicant was informed vide letter of April 2001 that the said Khasra numbers fell in Gulshan-i-Mustafa Housing Scheme and the request to entertain/sanction of building plan could not be accepted.

“Later, the university started construction of the boundary wall and the LDA proceeded for legal action. The demolition operation could not be carried out due to the stay order. The management was also advised vide letter dated 20-05-2001 not to violate the court’s order. Afterwards, the management requested the LDA for issuance of a NOC regarding Khasra No 428 on June 30, 2001,” reads the report.

It mentions that after a scrutiny, the LDA rejected the application. The varsity management moved the town municipal administration concerned and got approval of the building plan in violation of both approved layout plan of housing scheme and the commercialisation policy.

The TMA approved the building plan and the management carried out construction at site.

“The subject property falls in the controlled area of the LDA. Therefore, the LDA has the building control in its controlled area and has every right to proceed against any illegal and without approval construction. No other authority/body is competent to approve any building plan of the property/land falling under the jurisdiction of LDA and any building plan approved by the any other authority/body except LDA is illegal and has no sanctity in the eyes of law. Therefore, approval of any building plan from the TMA has no validity and is to be deemed as void,” the report claims.

It says that due to the construction of the campus, the layout plan of the Gulshan-i-Mustafa Housing Scheme has been changed at site and the area under public utility sites i.e. school, roads, park/open space has also been encroached upon by the varsity..

When contacted, a spokesman for the UMT rejected the LDA’s stance, stating that all blocks of the varsity were constructed after approval accorded by the TMA.

“We neither occupied the state land nor merged it into our building plans. Whatever the LDA people are claiming is absolutely wrong and baseless,” he said and added, “Our entire land and constructions are clear from any illegality,” he added.

RETRIEVED: A Pakistan Railways Lahore division team launched a mega operation near Faisalabad Railway Station and retrieved its land measuring 472 Marla worth over Rs1.85 billion.

According to a spokesman, the PR had given around 1.5 acre land to one Ashiq Ali Gujjar for parking but he occupied another piece of 1.5 acre of the PR also and set up the Landa Bazaar there. Later, he got a stay order from the court after the PR planned to get the land vacated. The court vacated the stay order and the PR team finally retrieved the land from Gujjar’s possession.

Meanwhile, the highway department deposited a sum of over Rs100m with the PR on Friday for maintenance of railway level crossings in Lahore division, according to the spokesman.

PIA SOCIETY: A city administration team, headed by the Raiwind assistant commissioner, sealed office of the PIA Cooperative Housing Society near Johar Town for not cleaning the drain from Hakim Chowk to Wapda Town roundabout.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2020