LAHORE, Dec 7 Demolition of five floors of Ahad Towers, two of Jeff Heights and one storey of Big City began on Monday, the second day of an operation against structures built either against building bylaws or without the approval of the Lahore Development Authority (LDA).
District Coordination Officer Sajjad Ahmad Bhutta supervised the demolition of Ahad Towers at Garden Block of Garden Town near Kalma Chowk while the LDA chief town planner and other senior officers guided their subordinates at Big City near Liberty roundabout and Jeff Heights adjacent to Hafeez Centre in E-2 Block of Gulberg.
Ahad Tower owner Yousaf Ahad Malik raised five additional storeys, covered even the open space and built projections against the building plan, according to a report of the Supreme Court commission. An additional storey was built at Big City and two illegal floors at Jeff Heights without getting approval from the LDA.
DCO Bhutta told reporters five floors of Ahad Tower were being demolished by the LDA on the orders of the Supreme Court. He said the 20 LDA officials who had allowed illegal constructions at Ahad Tower would also be taken to task.
Mr Malik, however, said a case was still lying pending with the Supreme Court. “The LDA cannot initiate any such action,” said Mr Malik, Pakistan Muslim League-Q's Lahore president.
“In fact, it is political victimisation at the behest of the provincial government.”
An LDA official present at the site told Dawn the commission, set up by the Supreme Court, had submitted in its report all constructions at Ahad Tower right from the plinth level were against building bylaws and the approved plan. Even the soil investigation report was not submitted with any authority.
“Projections up to the fifth floor on two sides, stairs at front and side portions in open space areas, several changes in the interior design besides construction in the reserved open space at back side were declared illegal by the commission,” said the official.
He said the other multi-storey plaza of the developer, Ahad Arcade, at Gulberg had also been constructed against laws.
