Daily Times

Police is reluctant to lodge first information reports (FIRs) against the owners of illegal constructions on applications of Municipal Corporation Rawalpindi (MCR), according to sources.

Reportedly, MCR sealed the Maryam Plaza located in Shamsabad, Rawalpindi because it was allegedly constructed illegally. However, the owner of the building broke the seals and opened the building without seeking approval from the relevant authorities.

MCR enforcement inspector filed an application on October 19, 2018 in Sadiqabad Police Station to register FIR against the owner of the building and also sealed the building again. The owner of the building opened the building again, reportedly, following which the MCR officials filed another application in Sadiqabad PS for the registration of FIR against the owner of Maryam Plaza identified as Shahid Pervaiz.

According to the submitted application, the owner of building had violated the section 188/189 of Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and also Section IV of Punjab Local Government Act 2013 by breaking the locks and seal affixed by the Municipal Corporation.

Another application of MCR for the registration of FIR against Zulfiqar, the owner of Bilal Hospital is also pending in the said police station. The application was submitted by enforcement inspector Shahid Raza on October 31, 2018.

Meanwhile, Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) Nadeem Ayub said that the application received from the Municipal Corporation has been sent to the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) pending approval, after which an FIR will be logged against the owner of Maryam Plaza.

Sources claimed that a permanent ramp for the shifting of heavy machinery has been set up in the parking area by the hospital administration. The hospital administration on the other hand has denied wrong doing by stating that proper permissions were attained for setting up the ramp due to which many applications prior to this one have already been set aside by authorities.

The MCR enforcement inspector Shahid Raza , stated that even though he himself had given the IO a tour of the establishment but even then the police were reluctant in registering an FIR against the builders.

Published in Daily Times, November  7^th 2018.