Daily Times

RAWALPINDI: Municipal Corporation Rawalpindi (MCR) has failed to fix the responsibility of illegal allotment of Rose Cinema, due to which the public body has faced a loss of billions.

In pursuance of the court order, MCR Chief Executive Shafqat Raza conducted an inquiry regarding the legal possession of Rose Cinema building and its attached shops. After hearing the arguments of tenant Mian Farooq, Khawaja Muqtadar Sadat etc, Malik Imran and officials of the MCR, the historic building of Rose Cinema has been sealed again.

Sources said that Mian Farooq has failed to produce any legal and valid agreement with the Municipal Corporation. During the inquiry, it was revealed that the lease agreement expired many years ago, however the possession of the cinema was given to Farooq on behalf of an affidavit written on a simple paper with the tax clerk Abdul Majeed of the MCR.

A senior official of MCR wishing anonymity said that the clerk was not authorised to sign an affidavit with the tenant and even after allotment of the cinema to Farooq, the official did not inform the higher authorities about the legal status of Rose Cinema for decades. During the inquiry, it is also revealed that the shops constructed in the building of Rose Cinema are also illegal.

The matter was exposed when Malik Imran submitted an application to the Local Government & Community Development secretary and also filed a case in the court claiming that Farooq has sold 30 percent of its shares of the Rose Cinema property.

After the inquiry into the matter, Shafqat Raza suspended Abdul Majeed, but despite the passage of two months, the chief executive failed to fix the responsibility of illegal allotment and possession of the worthy property for many decades.

The officials of MCR informed that the finance municipal officer is responsible for the timely lease of the property, but due to the negligence of the concerned officer, the Rose Cinema lease agreement cannot be renewed for decades. Due to the illegal allotment of Rose Cinema, the public body has faced loss of billions. The officials of MCR said that the inquiry report has been submitted in the court.

The cinema was sealed on August 31, 2018 on the instructions of the local government secretary, however, on the directions of the court, it was de-sealed for a week. As per the directions of the court, after conduction of the inquiry, the MCR has sealed Rose Cinema and its shops once again.

Published in Daily Times, October 25^th 2018.