LDA seals 101 commercial buildings in Lahore

LAHORE: The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) on Friday clamped down on 101 commercial buildings and premises that had not paid the commercialisation fees in different housing schemes and areas under LDA control.

The LDA’s Town Planning Wing was responsible for the sealing of the 101 buildings, which were located in various parts of the city, comprising 31 in Township, 18 in Faisal Town and Model Town Extension, 10 in Gulshan-e-Ravi, 33 in Wapda Town, and 9 in Allama Iqbal Town and Subzazar Housing Scheme.

The sealing of these buildings was part of the ongoing operations to stop illegal commercial use and to collect outstanding commercialisation fees from the areas mentioned.

Among the premises that were sealed include Sindh Bank, Euro Store, Do Chai, Dollar Mart, Concordia Colleges, The Savvy School, Glorious Grammar School, Kips Academy, Creative Grammar School, Azeem Talent High School, Bright Grammar School, Kanz-ul-Iman School, Domain School System & Academy, Chughtai’s Lab, Surriya Dental Hospital, Niazi Clinic, Hospital Pharmacy, Bridal Salon, Empire Hair Studio, grocery stores, food points, offices, and many other businesses besides them. At the same time, LDA teams pulled down four illegal structures in Jubilee Town and the LDA Avenue-I Housing Scheme.

Under the supervision of the LDA Chief Town Planner I, Assad-uz-Zaman, and Chief Town Planner II, Azhar Ali, the operations were conducted. The enforcement teams carried out the operations with Police assistance and the use of heavy machinery.

The LDA officials have said that the owners of the illegal buildings were served with several notices before the operations were carried out on them. LDA Director General Tahir Farooq has ordered to keep conducting indiscriminate operations against bylaw violations, encroachments, land grabbers, illegal commercial buildings, and non-payment of commercialisation fees in LDA-controlled areas and housing schemes in Lahore.