LDA seals Kips College, other key institutions amid illegal use

LAHORE: In a ground breaking move, the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) Town Planning Wing sealed off 98 buildings in various areas of Lahore on Friday for illegal commercial use and nonpayment of commercialization fees.

The sealed premises include several well-known institutions such as Kips College, Dar-e-Arqam School, and Iqra College, as well as other businesses like private hospitals, food outlets, shops, and offices.

Other sealed areas included 27 buildings in Allama Iqbal Town, 16 in Garden Town, 30 in and around Gulshan-e-Ravi, Shadman and Canal Bank Road, and 25 on Raiwind Road.

Operations were conducted under the overall supervision of LDA CTO I Assad-uz-Zaman and CTO II Azhar Ali with the help of the local police. LDA officials have claimed that various notices had been served to the owners of these buildings before the operations were conducted giving them enough time to comply.

LDA General Director Tahir Farooq has issued orders for an unrelenting campaign to go ahead against illegal commercial buildings and commercialization fee defaulters in the Punjab capital.

This step intends to bring order into commercial activities, ensure the rule of the law, and make commercialization fee defaulters accountable for their actions. LDA’s actions must be welcomed, for they are an encouraging signal of order and discipline in the commercial sector of the city.