Punjab Minister for Law and Cooperatives Basharat Raja has said that those who had constructed illegal societies across the province would have to face punishment.
He said this while addressing a meeting of the National Coordination Committee for Housing Construction and Development on Tuesday.
While chairing the meeting, the law minister stressed that on the directive of Prime Minister Imran Khan the protection of savings of the people, particular those who are poor, would be ensured.
Punjab Local Government Secretary Noorul Amin Mengal and other officers gave a detailed briefing to the chair.
The committee also considered a plan of action to initiate a crackdown against illegal housing societies in the province.
Basharat said that decade-old illegal societies have not been regularized so far and no action has been taken against anyone guilty of encroachment while the life savings of millions of people were lost in property investment scam of these illegal societies.
“We have to block the looting spree of those developing illegal societies in the future,” he said.
Speaking on the occasion, he said that the committee would determine the causes of illegal societies and investigate involvement of private and government officials in supporting their development.
The law minister sought a complete record of unlawfully developed societies across Punjab in the next meeting.
Earlier, Noorul Amin Mengal had suggested that for effective implementation of law, illegal societies should be divided into those fulfilling legal requirements and those not fulfilling it so that steps could be taken to regularize the former category.
The meeting was informed that out of 596 illegal societies of Lahore Development Authority (LDA), 246 were formed in green areas.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 10th, 2021.
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