LAHORE – The Pakistan Muslim League-N offices that have encroached upon the right of way have complete immunity against the anti-encroachment campaign despite whopping sloganeering that the drive will not succumb to political influence.
One of the eye-opening examples could be seen at Old Thana Road, Itawar Bazaar and Last Bus Stop, New Sunday Bazaar Green Town in the jurisdiction of Nishtar Town. There are two PML-N offices on these locations; one belonging to MNA Naseer Bhutta and the other to MPA Zaeem Qadri. The office’s shades have been extended out of the building limits.
In front of the offices, called parliamentarians’ central offices in Nishtar Town, a milk-selling counter has been placed. In addition, a signboard bearing ‘Baloch Milk Point’ has also been put up on an electric pole. “During the encroachment drive, hundreds of shades, signboards and counters that encroached upon the right of way were demolished. However, the drive exempted PML-N offices,” an official in the DCO office told Pakistan Today.
“We have received instructions from the CM’s Secretariat to remain soft against encroachments by party offices,” he added. He said PML-N MNAs and MPAs snubbed CDGL and Town Administration officials, but later fearing a public reaction they demolished some portion of the encroachments. Bilal Ahmed, a resident of Green Town, said that CDGL started the operation in the area last Saturday.
All the encroachments were removed except shades, counters and signboards of PML-N party offices, he added. When people objected to discrimination, Nishter Town official Malik Naeem Abbas assured them of knocking down PML-N office encroachments but later sneaked out of the scene. Jilal Akbar, another resident, said that a group of people and himself went to the Nishter Town office and complained to Town Administrator Sahibzadi Waseema Umer.
“She told us that encroachers had been given two days to give up illegal occupation of the space. She said that if they remained unmoved, action would be taken”, Jilal explained. However, four days have passed since and no action has been taken so far, he added. DCO Ahed Cheema said that signboards, shades and all sort of things that obstruct the right of way would be demolished regardless of any political pressure.
He said that though there were some problems, they would soon be addressed. Shalimar Town Administrator Amir Ahmed Khan said, “In the past, MPAs and MNAs used to assert their undue authority to bring the drive to a halt but this time, it will not be affected by any political pressure.”
Qoumi Tajar Itehad Finance Secretary Qazi Aftab said that the CDGL officials had turned the city into a jungle of encroachments and now they were active to clean out the mess they unleashed. Terming the drive ill-planned, he said that it was a point-scoring game and the CDGL officials were doing this only to appease the Punjab chief minister.
