Operation against encroachments: LHC directs Mayor to submit compliance report

The Lahore High Court on Monday directed Lahore Mayor Mubashar Javed to submit a compliance report of operation against the encroachments, oversized hoardings and cleanliness of the Mall Road. The court also directed the authorities to clean the Mall Road three times in a day and also asked the traders to display boards for the motivation of cleanliness among people.
The court also summoned union leaders of Hall Road and Panorama Shopping Centre in a case regarding illegal parking lots on Mall Road. The court observed that no one would be allowed to encroach upon the state land. Earlier officials of Lahore Parking Company told the court that the traders' union of Hall Road and Panorama Centre illegally occupied government's land and established their own parking lots. The petitioner's counsel pointed out that the private parking lots had been exploiting citizens and printed a disclaimer on their parking tokens that they would not be responsible for any loss or theft. The court also summoned CCPO Lahore in another matter about security affairs of Data Darbar shrine and encroachment around it.
Assistant Commissioner Safdar Virk told the court that all encroachments around the shrine had been removed and cleanliness was also being strictly observed in and outside the shrine. A report on behalf of the secretary Auqaf department stated that twelve out of 16 entrances of the shrine had been closed after a suicide attack in 2010 owing to security reasons. It said that three entrance gates had been used for men and one for women visitors at the shrine. The report further told that as many as 103 CCTV cameras were installed on the shrine's premises.