LAHORE: A group of lawyers stormed the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) complex in Johar Town on Thursday, threatened the officials, thrashed one of them and fled after taking some record in a bid to stop the authorities from probing the bogus plot files.

A police team, led by two SPs, also reached the spot after being contacted by LDA Director General/Lahore Commissioner Muhammad Ali Randhawa. A number of officials also gathered in the compound and protested against the lawyers. They demanded that the government provide protection to them, especially those probing various scams, including the Johar Town’s mega bogus plot files.

“We will not put up with such incidents in future. If the LDA administration ignores our demand to ensure our protection, we will have no option but to approach the high court and other relevant forums,” an official, who attended the protest, told Dawn requesting anonymity.

Staff holds protest, demands protection for those probing scams

According to an application submitted by LDA estate officer Shafat Ali to the Johar Town station house officer, a group of eight to 10 lawyers, led by advocate Mazhar Iqbal Naol, reached the LDA office (LDA director, housing-7, Mr Shahid Naeem) at about 11:25am on Thursday, picked the file of plot No JTNB-II-4105+A, took three pages of it and started hurling life threats at the estate officer in the presence of patwaris Asghar Ali and Faizan and estate inspector Malik Zulfiqar.

“You will have to face dire consequences for probing plot files,” Shafat Ali quoted the lawyer as having said. Later, according to him, advocate Noal pointed his pistol at him. In the meanwhile, director Mr Naeem sent Shafat out of his office in a bid to protect him from lawyers.

“As soon as I came out of the director’s office, the lawyers led by Noal, followed me and starting beating me. They injured me and tore my clothes. However, the LDA officials intervened and rescued me, “ complainant Shafat said, adding that the suspects also snatched some important record and fled by frightening the LDA staff.

According to sources, the lawyers also thrashed another official who tried to rescue Shafat.

Meanwhile, DG Mr Randhawa has sought a detailed report [on the incident] from the additional director general (housing).

The DG directed the police to register a case against the lawyers.

It merits mentioning that following various internal reports related to duplicate files and forged documents of various plots in Johar Town allegedly prepared by the private people in connivance with the officials concerned, the LDA had constituted a five-member fact-finding committee to launch a thorough probe into such issues and complete the task within 60 days.

An initial inquiry had already unearthed bogus files of 100 residential plots in Johar Town whose record in the LDA was missing. The officials deputed for the initial probe had also sent the list of the files to the committee.

According to the official sources, these plots were the LDA property but their duplicate files were prepared fraudulently by the private people in connivance with the LDA staff.

A source said the LDA did not have an updated record of its properties not only in Johar Town but also in other schemes it developed since its inception in 1975.

The LDA officials and fraudsters had allegedly used the file numbers already declared fake and published in the print media around 13 years back.

“The Lahore Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) is also probing this scam,” the source said.

Published in Dawn, June 16th, 2023