Passes resolution for renaming intersection on Rawal Road. PHOTO: FILE
During the third session of the RMC, the members refused to approve the agenda of their previous meeting to protest the non-implementation of several resolutions which they had previously passed.
Even though the RMC is dominated by members of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), all members of the house, irrespective of the party affiliation, protested against the absence of officials from the Water and Sewerage Authority (Wasa), Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA), and the municipal corporation during the session to hear complaints and suggestions of members.
The proceedings of the RMC session got so rowdy and disorderly owing to the protests that it became impossible for Deputy Mayor Chaudhry Tariq to control the members.
Members of the house also expressed their annoyance over convener’s failure to form committees consisting of elected representatives to manage different civic and administrative issues in the city.
Business of the day
Despite the commotion, the RMC managed to pass a resolution, moved by a PML-N member on changing the name of intersections at Rawal Road from Shahbaz Sharif Chowk to Raja Muhammad Khan Chowk.
Members of the corporation, however, rejected a resolution moved by a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) member which called for converting the under-construction Shahbaz Sharif Park near Chandni Chowk into a graveyard.
The RMC members also approved a grant of Rs250 million for development work in 46 union councils (UC) of the city.
The members also approved a plan for setting aside Rs5 million for five Ramazan bazaars in the city.
Some members suggested that the respective UC chairmen should increase their involvement in curbing kite flying in the city.
They also asked the corporation to make rules for service providers such as the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL), WASA, RDA, and PTCL to obtain no-objection certificates from the chairperson of respective UCs before digging up a road for laying down services lines.
The PML-N dominant RMC also passed a resolution reposing its confidence in Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and raised slogans such as ‘Go Imran Go’ and ‘Go Sheikh (Rashid Ahmed) Go’.
RCB official thrashed
A team of the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) building department on Wednesday were thrashed by labourers when the officials tried to stop the former from demolishing a market on Adamjee Road in Saddar on Wednesday.
The labourers were reportedly demolishing the market’s building without securing the due permits from the cantonment authorities.
According to available details, a 10 to 15-member team of RCB’S building department, headed by Amir Engineer went to Al-Abbas Market on Adamjee Road to stop the labourers from demolishing the market.
On this, the labourers exchanged harsh words with the RCB team and attacked them.
The RCB team managed to apprehend two of the labourers and handed them over the police. Later, the market’s owner along with dozens of labourers stormed into the RCB office on The Mall and again wrestled with officials of building and enforcement department.
The RCB officials called for reinforcements and managed to catch eight labourers and locked them up in the office.
Later, police were called and the attackers were taken to the police station for further legal action.
A senior officer of RCB said that the market’s owner Naeem had been demolishing the market without securing the requisite permission from RCB. Subsequently, their team went to implement the law but the labourers attacked the team and injured several RCB officials.
The official said that they had lodged a complaint against the attackers at Cantonment police station for further action.
Cantt SHO Javed Khan confirmed that they had received complaints from both parties and had sent the injured to hospital for a formal medico-legal report.
He added that they had detained seven labourers at the police station and action would be taken against them after the medical report is received.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 11th, 2017.
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