FAISALABAD: Hammad Ahmed has been struggling for the last one and a half years through Pakistan Citizen Portal for action against the illegal parking stand outside the SSP (investigation) office.

Instead of acting against the [suspected] people, the deputy commissioner [allegedly] threatened him on the portal that his registration would be suspended if he kept sending ‘unlawful’ material.

Contrary to the stance of the DC, the Faisalabad Parking Company (FPC) and the chief traffic officer (CTO) endorsed that parking point was illegal and being run by the district bar association (Faisalabad).

It merits mentioning that the parking point is still collecting fee with impunity.

On Wednesday (Dec 30) , Punjab Governor Muhammad Sarwar asked the government officials to readdress the grievances of the citizens on the portal.

Hammad Ahmed, submitting an application on the portal, complained that a parking point had been established by private persons who were charging double fee. He alleged the parking managers had been issuing tickets [to motorists] carrying the name of DBA.

Complainant ‘snubbed’ by DC for uploading ‘illegal’ material

“The CTO and the SP (investigation) are well aware of the illegal parking stand,” he added.

He said the complaint had been forwarded by the system to DC who sent it to the FPC. The FPC managing director replied that the DBA was managing the parking lot and the matter of illegal parking and fee was related to the municipal corporation of Faisalabad and the assistant commissioner (city) as well.

The CTO office categorically mentioned that traffic police took action on charges of wrong parking. The CTO said first the site was being governed by the FPC and “now the DBA is looking after it.”

Closing the first report, the DC says, “your complaint contains unlawful material. You are advised to avoid sending such complaints otherwise your registration will be suspended.”

Instead of succumbing to the pressure of the DC, Ahmed said he again submitted the same complaint addressing the chief secretary so that action could be taken against the suspects.

However, it is a matter of grave concern that the complaint has been forwarded to the same departments hoping they would move against the violators.

He said illegal parking fee was being collected at different points including outside the district courts.

An official of the DC office said: “It’s a routine that we try to stop the habitual complainants to save the time of the departments.” He said the DC did not mean that “we would take any sort of action against such complainants.”

Instead of taking action against the wrongdoing, Ahmed said the additional deputy commissioner (headquarters) sent a letter to the secretary bar that people were being overcharged outside the Zila Kutchery adjacent to the district accounts office and outside. The area is being managed by the district bar.

“You are therefore requested to look into the matter personally and furnish the report for onward submission to the quarters concerned at the earliest,” the letter reads.

Ahmed said when the government institutions had been admitting that the parking point was illegal then why were the police and the district administration officials were not acting against the violators.

He said the DC had conducted an open court on the Facebook on Thursday and he again raised the question of illegal parking on different roads. However, he said the DC did not reply to his comments even after taking up his question.

A police officer requesting anonymity said the [police] department would move against the management of the illegal parking points if the administration would submit the application.

District Bar Association President Shahzad Bashir Cheema said: “All the parking points around the district courts are legal and have been bid by the bar for the last four to five years.

He said funds being collected through the parking points were being used for the welfare of the legal fraternity.

A parking lot towards ladies park had been declared illegal and “we removed it on the request of the district administration,” he added.

Mr Cheema was not aware what parking fee had been fixed during the auction and said “the private people are managing the points and paying Rs55,000 daily to the bar.”

Published in Dawn, January 2nd, 2021