Punjab Province

Lahore: [Riaz Hussain ReNews Pakistan]
On the instructions of Lahore Development Authority Director General Tahir Farooq, the LDA Town Planning Wing launched a large-scale operation against illegal commercial buildings and commercial fee defaulters, sealing a total of 203 properties in different areas.
LDA teams carried out operations in the controlled area, including Gulberg, Faisal Town, Gulshan e Ravi, Gujjarpura, Samanabad, Shadbagh, UET, NFC, Punjab Government Employees Cooperative Scheme, College Road, Allama Iqbal Town and several other locations.
During the operation, 19 properties were sealed in Gulberg and Faisal Town for illegal commercial use, while 84 properties were sealed in Gulshan e Ravi, Gujjarpura, Samanabad and Shadbagh. Similarly, 60 properties were sealed on UET, NFC, Punjab Government Employees Cooperative Scheme and College Road over illegal commercial use and non-payment of commercial fees.
LDA teams also sealed 40 properties in Allama Iqbal Town during a recovery operation. According to officials, the sealed properties included private schools, colleges, banks, halls, marquees, academies, bakeries, pharmacies, beauty salons, clinics, grocery stores, auto workshops, electric stores, restaurants, food points, shops, offices and other commercial establishments.
The operation was conducted under the supervision of Chief Town Planner-I Asad-uz-Zaman and Chief Town Planner-II Azhar Ali. LDA Director General Tahir Farooq said indiscriminate action against illegal commercial buildings and commercial fee defaulters would continue.

Rawalpindi : ReNews Pakistan
It has been revealed that 34 housing schemes located within the limits of Rawalpindi Division are using Islamabad’s name for the sale of plots, even though these schemes are not situated within the boundaries of the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).
The matter came to light through a letter sent by the DG Spatial Planning and Director Master Plan to the Director General of the Competition Commission of Pakistan.
The letter pointed out that several housing schemes located in Rawalpindi Division are creating the impression through their marketing and advertising campaigns that these projects fall within Islamabad’s limits, whereas in reality, they are outside the administrative boundaries of the federal capital.
Authorities have also sent a list of 20 housing projects along with the letter. According to the letter, these schemes are using Islamabad’s name in their marketing and creating a misleading impression for buyers. The letter termed this practice misleading for consumers and recommended that the relevant forum review the matter.
The letter further clarified that there is no official sector to the southwest of Islamabad’s sectors A-17, B-17, C-17, E-17, F-17, G-17, H-17 and I-17. In this context, the names of 27 more housing schemes have also been mentioned, which are not located within Islamabad’s boundaries but are presenting their projects as being connected to Islamabad in different ways.
According to officials, such marketing creates confusion among ordinary buyers, leading them to believe that the relevant project is part of Islamabad’s legal boundaries or master plan. The letter stated that such claims need to be examined so that citizens buying plots can be provided with accurate information and transparency can be maintained in the real estate market.
According to sources, the relevant authorities have requested the Competition Commission to review the advertising campaigns and claims of housing schemes that are using Islamabad’s name to market their projects, despite being administratively located in Rawalpindi Division or other adjoining areas.

Vehari : [Tariq Aziz Ansari, District Coordinator ReNews Pakistan]
An important meeting regarding development schemes in Vehari district was held under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioner Khalid Javed Goraya, during which proposals for three new development schemes were presented under own-source resources.
The proposed projects include a 13 kilometre new road scheme from Rutba Tibba to Mian Pakhi Mor, rehabilitation of a 2.5 kilometre road from Delhi Multan Road to Masoom Shah Road up to Burewala Bypass, and restoration of the existing stadium in Jallah Jeem.
According to officials, the total estimated cost of these development schemes has been set at Rs 36.5 million. During the meeting, the usefulness, cost, priorities and public convenience aspects of the projects were reviewed in detail.
Speaking on the occasion, Deputy Commissioner Khalid Javed Goraya said that special attention is being paid to development schemes in Vehari district in line with the vision of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif. He said work on the construction and rehabilitation of roads would be started soon to provide better travel facilities to the public.
The deputy commissioner directed the relevant officers to ensure quality, transparency and timely completion of the development schemes so that citizens could benefit from these projects at the earliest.
Additional Deputy Commissioner Finance and DD Development Muhammad Afzal, District Officer I&S District Council Faheem Shahzad and other relevant officers were also present at the meeting.