Daily Times

RAWALPINDI: The directorate of Anti-Corruption Establishment issued notices on Sunday to Municipal Corporation Rawalpindi (MCR) chief officer and planning municipal officer on a complaint by a citizen about the illegal construction of commercial buildings in the city.

Rawal Town former mayor Chaudhry Farooq Azam filed a complaint in the directorate of Anti-Corruption Establishment about the illegal construction of the commercial buildings in the city, claiming that more than 300 buildings have been illegally constructed in the city without following the building bylaws.

He has also attached the photos and location details of 70 buildings with his application. The complainant has also requested the department to investigate the assets of planning municipal officer and his relatives, sources said.

Chaudhry Farooq Azam in his application complained that the illegal constructions have been made under the supervision of the MCR chief officer and planning municipal officer by getting heavy bribe money from the owners of illegally constructed buildings.

The directorate of the Anti-Corruption Establishment has issued notices to the former mayor, the chief officer and the planning municipal officer following the complaint.

Sources said that earlier, an application of illegal construction of commercial buildings was also submitted by a citizen last year which was later closed after a compromise was made by the MCR officers with the complainant.

In reply, the former municipal regulations officer Naveed Shahzad Gohar has admitted in writing that illegal constructions were made in the city on order or support of the then Tehsil Municipal Officer (TMO) Mir Akmal. Instead of registering the case against the TMO and MOP, the anti-corruption office closed the case after a compromise between complainant and MCR officers, sources said.

Talking exclusively to Daily Times, Chaudhry Farooq Azam said that the planning department of MCR has destroyed the structure of the city by allowing illegal constructions of commercial buildings allegedly after getting heavy bribe money.

“I request the chief justice of Pakistan to take notice of illegal constructions in Rawalpindi. I will provide the complete evidence to the court,” he said.

An official source of MCR informed that Municipal Officer Planning (MOP) Shahzad Haider has good relations with Rawalpindi’s deputy commissioner and some other influential people, that is why the district administration is turning a blind eye towards illegal constructions in the city.

When contacted, MCR Chief Officer Shafqat Raza said that the anti-encroachment campaign is in full swing as parking areas in almost 10 commercial buildings on Murree Road, have been retrieved after completion of anti-encroachment campaign.

Published in Daily Times, December 3^rd 2018.