CM visits LDA office, directs police to act against land mafia

LAHORE:A serious security lapse was witnessed at the head office of Lahore Development Authority (LDA) when some accused nominated in a criminal case with clauses under Anti-Terrorism Act tried to encircle Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi here on Wednesday.

The CM, meanwhile, directed the police to act against those involved in land grabbing. The incident occurred after the caretaker CM ended his visit to the LDA’s One Window Cell and was about to sit in his car but was encircled by some people, who included those nominated in a criminal case of attacking police, LDA and government officers and damaging and snatching their official vehicles during an operation against illegal land subdivisions in LDA City Housing Scheme on last Monday.

However, the caretaker Chief Minister left the scene without listening to them after which they started raising slogans against the LDA’s top management and quarreled with the LDA’s security guards and threatened to block the main road.

On the intervention of police, some of the accused who were nominated in the criminal case managed to escape the scene and LDA’s security guards failed to nab them.

The incident raised serious concerns about the security measures at the LDA head office as in recent past some lawyers forced their entry into the LDA office, stormed into the office of a director, and beat his staff. Many other similar incidents also took place in LDA head office in the past.

During his visit to the LDA One Window Cell, the Caretaker Chief Minister was told about the presence of unwanted elements and agents in the LDA office especially at CMP Wing, TP Wing, Housing Directorates and One Window Cell.

The Chief Minister during his visit also directed the DG LDA and Commissioner Lahore Muhammad Ali Randhawa to take action against such elements. A number of citizens present there complained the CM about Mansha Bomb and his sons who were forcibly trying to get the possessions of lands of the citizens while also encroaching LDA’s prime land at PIA Road.

The CM called the CCPO Lahore Bilal Siddique Kamyana to the LDA office and directed him to take immediate action against Mansha Bomb. The CM also directed LDA’s management to immediately take action and get its land vacated from the local goon.

The CM assured the complainants that action would be taken against Mansha Bomb as well as all other qabza mafias operating in the city. He asked them to meet CCPO Lahore at his office. Over the security lapse in LDA office, Director DG Cell, LDA Asif Hussain said that he has asked the Chief Security Officer (CSO) of LDA Capt (retd) Faraz to lodge an FIR of the fresh incident.