LAHORE, Oct 1: The inquiry committee on the Shahalam building collapse has submitted its report to the LDA director-general.

Two people died when six floors of Lodhi Arcade collapsed in August this year.

The committee has held responsible LDA field staff and the officials concerned for “allowing construction of the plaza in violation of buildings bylaws”.

“All proofs against the LDA staff have been found,” revealed a member of the three-man committee comprising Traffic Engineering and Planning Authority chief engineer Khushhal Khan, LDA chief engineer Asif Hameed and buildings director Saeed Akhtar.

He said the construction of the arcade had been started in 1997 in violation of the building plan, and it was completed in 2003. Until its collapse this August, the LDA staff concerned “overlooked” all modifications to the structure.

The committee found no building site plan and other relevant documents in the LDA record. It particularly checked dates of the sanction of the site plan and completion certificate.

One month has gone by, police have failed to arrest the owner of the Lodhi Arcade.