Chief Minister Inspection Team (CMIT)’s report has finally surfaced, blowing the whistle on Lahore Development Authority’s 31 officials, some blue-eyed of LDA former additional DG Abdul Jabbar Shaheen in the tragedy of BOR Housing Society 5-storey plaza claiming 4 death and 23 injuries six months back in Johar Town
The stark revelations came to fore with CMIT’s report submission to CM Punjab Shahbaz Sharif, a copy of which was available to Pakistan Today. Of 31 culpable, four officials including Chief Town Planner Ch Muhammad Ikram, Chief Metropolitan Planner Waseem Ahmed Khan, Director Enforcement Kh Javevd Aslam and Engineering Assistant Director Muhammad Latif who was close to LDA former DG Abdul Jabbar Shaheen and had never faced suspension under the enquiry held by LDA. So much so they were never named in FIR lodged by LDA in the Plaza tragedy.
The CMIT report, exposing all these officials, strongly recommended action against 15 officials under PEEDA Act for showing criminal negligence and 16 officials for underperforming in the demolition of Plaza at BOR housing society on September 23, 2011.
Top 15 officials included LDA Chief Town Planner Ch Muhammad Akram, Chief Metropolitan Planner Waseem Ahmed Khan, Chief Engineer Muhammad Saeed Akhtar (now TEPA chief engineer), EME Director Abdul Razzaq, Director Town Planning Sheikh Khalid Mehmood, Director Enforcement Kh Javed Aslam, Director Estate Management Muhammad Nauman Khan, Director Buildings Ahmed Nawaz Malik, Engineering Assistant Director Muhammad Latif, Deputy Director Azhar Ali, Town Planning Assistant Director Muhammad Afraz Akhtar, Assistant Director Akeel Salman, Assistant Director Ali Abbass, Assistant Director Muhammad Zubair, Town Planning Director Muhammad Nadeem Akhtar Zaidi.
Other 16 officials are Town Planning Director Muhammad Fahim, Deputy Director (Commercialization) Muhammad Mustafa Muazam, DD (Town Planning) Asad-u-Zaman, DD (Town Planning) Muhammad Fahad Younis, Assistant Director Town Planning (ADTP) Muthair Awan, ADTP Tahir Ahmed Qureshi, ADTP Muhammad Nafees, ADTP Irfan Rana, ADTP Ahmed Saeed, ADTP Umar Muhammad, Deputy Director Buildings Muhammad Iqbal Javaid, AD (EME) Hafiz Bilal Afzal Chugtai, AD (EME) Hamza Aslam, DD (Enforcement) Ali Bin Sohail, AD (Enforcement) Basit Aziz AD (Enforcement) Uzair Sohail.
The CMIT revealed that the demolition operation was ill-planned, ill-executed and grossly mishandled which resulted in the collapse of the building and caused loss of four precious human lives and injuries to twenty one persons. It said all officials concerned who took part in the demolition operation directly or indirectly were responsible. CMIT report said it was just because of their negligence/inefficiency (which they committed either by omission or by commission), that the tragic incident took place
In a covert secret move, LDA former DG Abdul Jabbar Shaheen had reinstated and issued posting orders of some officials including then LDA chief engineer Muhammad Saeed Akhtar, Buildings Director Malik Ahmad Nawaz, EME Director Abdur Razaq, Town Planning Deputy Director Azhar Ali and Town Planning Assistant Director Afraz Akhter who were suspended in the result of plaza collapse. Abdul Jabbar Shaheen issued their posting order on March 19, some before he was replaced by DCO Ahed Cheema as new LDA DG. Meanwhile, he also posted then Chief Engineer Muhammad Saeed Akhtar as TEPA chief engineer on the same date.
