Daily Times

Municipal Corporation Rawalpindi (MCR) is reluctant to take action against illegal constructions in the city.

Citizens have requested the chief justice and Prime Minister Imran Khan to also take notice of these illegal constructions in Rawalpindi.

Chah Sultan, Kheyaban, Bangash Colony, Dhok Hassu, Dhok Kashmirian, Dhok Kala Khan, Sadiqabad, Amar Pura and other residential areas have been converted into commercial areas due to illegal constructions of commercial plazas, markets and shops allegedly with the support of Municipal Corporation officials.

Due to these illegal constructions, the public body faces the loss of billions of rupees every year while the residents of these areas also suffer due to commercial activities in their areas.

MCR former deputy mayor Chaudhry Farooq Azam filed a complaint along with the photographs of illegally constructed building to the MCR chief officer on November 29, 2018 with diary number 2,074. Despite the passage of more than two months and multiple reminders from the complainants, the chief officer has kept the complaint pending under the files.

Earlier to this, a complaint was also filed by a citizen Ibrar Ahmed in anti-corruption establishment regarding illegal construction in the city, whose inquiry was later closed after the compromise of MCR officials with the complainant.

Owners of almost all commercial buildings of the city have architected shops in the parking areas of the buildings which cause traffic jams in the city.

Sources said that more than a 100 complaints regarding illegal constructions are also received on Pakistan Citizens Portal but even then, the officials have kept a blind eye on the ongoing illegal construction.

An official of MCR wishing anonymity said that officers even the building inspectors and enforcement inspectors of the planning department of MCR are billionaires now, because of getting heavy bribe money for allowing illegal constructions in the city.

The government departments especially National Accountability Bureau should investigate the assets of the MCR planning department officials, he added.

When contacted, Municipal Officer Planning Shahzad Haider said, “We have issued notices to the owners of commercial buildings to vacate the parking areas. Strict action will be taken against violators.”

Sadiqabad resident Tauseef Ahmed said the officials of MCR are involved in illegal constructions themselves. Despite the ongoing Clean & Green campaign, illegal constructions are at their peak in the city. He requested Chief Justice Saqib Nisar and PM Imran Khan to take notice of these illegal constructions in Rawalpindi.

Published in Daily Times, January 12^th 2019.