LAHORE: As many as 160 buildings were demolished and 740 cases registered over building by-laws violation during a crackdown against violators inside the walled city area by the Building Department of the Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) during 2016-17, said an annual report of the authority released on Monday. The report claimed that 1,209 notices were issued to violators of building regulations, while 420 illegal constructions were sealed for not getting approval of maps and construction of basements from the departments concerned. According to Building Regulations 2015, “No basement shall be constructed in any building except in buildings on plots measuring more than ten marlas and with express permission of the authority, provided the area of the basement does not exceed 25 percent of the plot area, and provided the base of the outer (retaining) wall of the basement on any side is removed.” “Overall the authority conducted 2,925 operations against illegal buildings located in Taxali Gate, Kashmiri Gate, Bhatti Gate, Mochi Gate, Akbari Gate and others,” said the report. Meanwhile, WCLA Building Control Director Najamul Saqib said, “We required time to act against those who do not follow rules and regulations. We will not compromise on protection of citizens’ lives and will continue the crackdown.”