MULTAN, Jan 18: Scouting has been suspended at the Regional Scouts Headquarters here for the last three months due to the establishment of an FM radio station on its premises.

Scouts of six districts — Multan, Lodhran, Khanewal, Pakpattan, Vehari and Sahiwal -– would gather at the scouts’ headquarters and perform various activities. Now there is no get-together and the tasks performed by scouts have been restricted a great deal.

The establishment of an FM radio station on the premises of the scouts’ headquarters has drawn the flak and those concerned are demanding shifting of the radio station to some other locality.

The Punjab Boys Scouts Association higher-ups have signed an agreement with the Punjab Institute of Language, Art and Culture to provide four rooms — three of its scouts’ hostel — for five years against a monthly rent of Rs40,000 along with surety money of Rs300,000 for the establishment of the Punjab Rung FM Station.

Muttahida Shehri Mahaz President Tariq Naeemullah said after occupying three rooms of the scouts’ hostel, the FM station management wanted to get the control of the remaining two rooms as well. He said the building was situated in the heart of the city and had high property value and that’s why every opportunist was eying its occupation.

Many influential parties, he alleged, had made attempts in the past to get hold of this precious land and use it for commercial purposes. He said once a town nazim had suggested shifting of the scouts’ headquarters and construction of a five-star hotel there. It was also suggested that the Rescue 1122 office should be established at this place.

He said although the radio station was not made functional so far, the activities of scouts had virtually come to a halt. It was his fear, he said, that the new setup would completely take over the place and the scouts would have no place for camping and other activities.

According to Mr Naeemullah, former district coordination officer Iftikhar Babar had even planned to shift the headquarters to another place. Technically the place was not suitable for the installation of the FM station tower because a bank building close to it was at a higher altitude and would affect the transmission for the areas to the south.

Zahoor Ahmad Dhareja, a social activist, also opposed the move, saying: “The government on the one hand is firing people and depriving them of permanent jobs to ease burden on the national exchequer and on the other hand the former chief minister had allowed establishment of new institutions within the province after allocating millions of rupees to oblige some individuals.”

He said establishment of the FM station in the name of promoting art and culture was mere waste of money.

PILAC director Shaista Nuzhat and Regional Scouts Headquarters in-charge Abdullah Jahanzeb were not available for comment.