MURREE, Nov 18 Like the previous operation, the current campaign of Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMA) against illegally constructed multi-storey buildings might turn out to be unproductive.
The Tehsil Municipal Administration on Wednesday restricted its operation against those who do not enjoy political clout, and let influential owners of the buildings go scot-free.
The squad of the TMA, along with law enforcing agencies, demolished a very small portion of Margalla Heights, a building at Kashmir Point and a building at Murree Club.
In Murree, multi-storey buildings sprang up during the era of previous regime in violation of building by-laws of Punjab government and the then administration took no action as, according to locals and owners of the building, the builders paid heavy bribe to those who matter.
After taking over, the Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif announced to take serious action against illegally-constructed buildings in Murree but so far no considerable portion of any building had been demolished.
In 2006, the town nazim assured the Supreme Court that illegally constructed and dangerous buildings would be razed.
In response to a suo motu notice of the Supreme Court against the collapse of an eight-storey illegally-constructed building that claimed three lives, the town Nazim Murree presented a list of 162 buildings which were constructed illegally and were dangerous for living.
Locals appealed to Supreme Court to take sue motu action of this situation and violation of the Supreme Court's orders.
Meanwhile, the district administration said the TMA demolished 11 buildings during an ongoing campaign against high-rises, illegally-constructed and technically dangerous structures in Murree.
Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has directed the district administration particularly TMO Murree Sarwar Nadeem and District Officer Revenue (DOR) Arshad Waraich to purge the resort town of all dangerous buildings to restore its beauty.
Senior officials of the district administration assisted by the local police are supervising the operation.
Four high-rise and dangerous buildings were demolished on Wednesday. They included the seven-storey Margalla Height on Bahria Road, Club Estate in Jinga Galli and Terrace Estate near PIA Park.
On the other hand, the owners of the demolished structures alleged that the PML-N government was using the drive for political victimisation of its opponents. “These buildings posed grave danger to both human lives and environment of Murree. The drive against these buildings would continue till its logical end.
We are facing opposition from the owners but the fact is that these buildings are completely illegal,” Mr Waraich said.
Town Nazim Murree Sardar Saleem Khan had recently accused the chief minister of using illegal means in the name of development for providing infrastructure to Doonga Gali where his family house was under constriction.
