The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Punjab government is causing a loss of millions of rupees to the national exchequer, as all political billboards of the party are installed without paying a single penny to the Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) and most of them violate the PHA Outdoor Publicity Policy framed to regularise outdoor advertisement in 2008, Pakistan Today has learnt.
Since the PML-N, led by Shahbaz Sharif, assumed power in Punjab in 2008, outsized billboards bearing big pictures of PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif, ministers and parliamentarians were installed on roads, rooftops and even in residential areas while all of them are untaxed and defy rules.
According to Punjab Gazette, copy of which is available with Pakistan Today, PHA laid down regulations in exercise of the power conferred under Section 44 of the Punjab Development of Cities Act 1976 with government notification No SO (P)-3-4/98 on September 21, 1998 when Shahbaz was enjoying his first stint as Punjab CM. The regulations ban all sort of billboards on roadside areas and rooftops that could disturb the skyline. They also prohibit installation of billboards in residential localities.
But a political billboard is placed on one side of the residence of Punjab Excise and Taxation Minister Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman at Cooper Store Locality near GT Road. Some hoardings carrying pictures of the PML-N leadership are affixed on an iron-made gate at the Garhi Shahu Bridge. Some billboards showcasing snaps of PML-N Member of the National Assembly (MNA) and Shahbaz’s son Hamza Shahbaz are installed on the rooftop at a building near the Lahore Hotel. Adding insult to injury, all of them were installed without the formal permission of PHA.
“Their presence in different parts of the city is mocking the Punjab government, which loves to talk about merit, impartiality, good governance and treating everyone, including itself, equal in compliance of law,” a senior PHA official told Pakistan Today. PHA Additional Director General Captain (r) Usman Younis said that he did not know anything about the issue, as he recently assumed office. Now, he has been tasked to renovate and establish parks on directions of PHA Director General (DG) Abdul Jabbar Shaheen. Younis said that he would look into the matter.
A senior PHA official told Pakistan Today that the Punjab government had deliberately kept the issue of political advertisement out of PHA regulations. “Although there are other political billboards of various political parties, including the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), but the real beneficiary is the PML-N, which has spread the billboards for blitz publicity,” he added. At the time of outlining the outdoor publicity policy, PHA officials suggested to tax political outdoor advertisement including billboards, hoardings, streamers and banners, another official said. “They opined that inclusion of recommendations had to rack up bumper revenue. But the issue was put on the backburner on the plea that it would open a new pandora box,” he added.
An official of the marketing department said that political parties, including the PML-N and the PPP, were not paying advertisement charges to the PHA for displaying billboards and other publicity stuff, as the outdoor publicity policy was silent in this regard. “Political parities put up billboards and banners whenever they have to welcome their leaders in their areas, sing praises of leadership steps, celebrate special occasions and stage protests. They spend huge money on preparation and installation of advertisement stuff but never pay a single penny to PHA to help increase revenue,” he added.
“We also cannot pull down outdoor publicity stuff of lawyers and journalists. We requested a private TV channel to remove rooftop billboards but had to face threats,” the official said. Some months ago, Shahbaz ordered to launch a campaign to remove all billboards from the city. The CM had instructed the PHA to get all billboards removed considering them a threat to the beauty and life of the people. PHA also planned to convert Mall Road into a free-board zone by removing all advertisement billboards erected on either side of the road to restore its original beauty.
The numbers of billboards were also reduced to maintain skyline of the city. PHA claimed to have removed all billboards installed in violation of the publicity policy but political hoardings remained untouched.
It’s free publicity for the Sharifs
