LAHORE: The caretaker government has given a free hand to the Lahore administration to launch a massive crackdown on the owners of buildings involved in using their parking spaces for purposes other than the vehicles’ parking.

An operation, which is likely to remain in force at least for 15 days, will be launched on Thursday.

“Lahore Commissioner Muhammad Ali Randhawa, who also holds the additional charge of the office of Lahore Development Authority (LDA) director general, has summoned a meeting on Wednesday (today) in which all respective heads of the LDA, police, Metropolitan Corporation of Lahore, Lahore Parking Company, Traffic Engineering & Transport Planning Agency (Tepa), zonal administrations and police will participate,” an official source explained.

The department heads have also been asked to bring reports and share them with the meeting’s participants.

The meeting will discuss homework, an action plan, and arrangements completed by departments before launching the operation. The meeting will assess possible resistance from the building owners to the drive.

“The action includes the sealing of buildings, the imposition of heavy fines, and registration of FIRs, subject to the gravity of offence.

According to a spokesman for the divisional administration of Lahore, an action plan will be finalised after survey reports are presented in the meeting.

“The operation will be carried out by Lahore city administration, police, LDA, Tepa, Wasa, MCL, Lahore Parking Company, PHA etc. During the operation, all encroachments on parking spaces would be removed. After clearing these spaces of encroachments, these places would be ensured to be used for parking alone and not for any other purposes,” he explained.

In a statement, the commissioner said the operations would be led by the respective assistant commissioners.

“There will be no compromise with anyone on this issue, as the operations will continue until achieving the required results,” he warned.

He said the owners of commercial buildings had already been told to better restore parking spaces on their own before the launch of operations or face the music. He said those who would resist would also be taken to task.

WHEAT: Various teams in Kasur district foiled a bid to smuggle 12,000 maund wheat to other districts during Eid holidays.

According to a spokesman, the teams stopped several wheat-laden trucks at the check posts at Kanganpur, Pakki Haveli, Dhang Shah Mor, Burj Kalan, Khaddian Road and other places and seized the wheat being smuggled to other districts.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2023