RAWALPINDI: District administration, local police and Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) on Saturday jointly launched a grand operation against illegal housing societies, criminals hiding there, weapons and their private guards allegedly involved in criminal activities.

Talking to Dawn, RDA Director General Saif Anwar Jappa said that Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chattha had formed a task force to take action against illegal housing societies and those which had illegal arms and recruited guards without permission of local police. The four-member task force comprising RDA Director General as Chairman and Additional Deputy Commissioner Revenue, Superintendent of Police Saddar and Chief Officer District Council as members was formed last week.

It will take action against the owners of the housing societies who recruited guards and constructed bunkers and hideouts as well as illegal weapons in the areas in the name of housing societies.

The task force will launch crackdown on unregistered security agencies, providing gunmen to housing societies.

Task force formed to oversee operation against unregistered guards, criminals

It will launch operation against possession and use of illegal weapons by housing societies and submit report to the commissioner on daily basis.

Mr Jappa who is the chairman of the task force said that special branch had given reports to Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chatha that private housing societies’ owners recruited guards and kept illegal weapon and they were involved in criminal activities and constructed bunkers.

He said: “the task force had launched the operation against the illegal housing societies falling in the limits of Chauntra and Saddar Bairooni police stations as their owners are involved in criminal activities,” he said.

He said in the past years the illegalhousingschemesdevelopers recruited privateguardsand they roam in the areas in shape of caravan to threat local land owners to sell their property on low price as compared to market price.

He said the divisional administration issued warnings to all the housing societies in the Rawalpindi division to stop illegalactivities and display of arms and asked the developers to follow the law. Meanwhile, Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA), district administration and local police on Saturday conducted an operation against four illegal housing societies in the garrison city and demolished their structures.

These illegal housing schemes are on Chakri Road Rawalpindi including Abdullah City, Avalon City, Blue World City and Al-Imran Homes.

They demolished main gates, bunkers, advertising banners, dividers, billboards and road infrastructures of the illegal housing schemes.

The RDA DG said the action had been taken after they received complaints from the general public.Strict action will be taken against those who take possession of land by force. He said the RDA was going to request the additional sessions judge to vacate stay orders which were given to illegal housing schemes. He further said that operations will continue against illegal housing schemes.

He said that the owners of the housing schemes who have completed the legal documents have been given the possession of the land. He said the RDA had been issuing advice from time to time for the information of the general public not to invest in illegal housing schemes and requested to visit RDA websitewww.rda.gop.pkand are advised to buy and sell only from approved housing schemes.

According to the authorities, previously notices were issued to the owners of above mentioned four illegal housing schemes and FIRs were lodged to stop illegal advertisements, bookings and development.The owners of these properties were running booking offices of illegal housing schemes in violation of the rules.

Published in Dawn, September 17th, 2023