District govt’s help sought in multi-storey police centre case

LAHORE :The Lahore High Court on Monday sought assistance from the city district government as to how the police could construct on its own a multi-storey police investigation centre in Old Anarkali area and directed a law officer to submit record of the approval for the construction in a residential area.

Justice Sajid Mahmood Sethi had already sought record of the approval for the construction in the residential area. During the proceedings on Monday, to a court query about permission for such construction, a counsel for the city district government informed that the police did not need any nod for it. He said police could erect such a building on its own. The judge ordered to identify relevant law which exempted police from seeking approval from relevant authorities.

The residents of Anarkali Khurshid Alam, Mehboob Munawar and other filed a petition challenging the construction of the investigation complex. Petitioners' counsel said that after construction of such a sensitive centre, it would put the lives of the locals in danger.

He said that in recent past terrorist attacked on buildings of law enforcement agencies resulting into loss of life and property of citizens. He said the life of the residents of this area was already miserable due to extraordinary security measures taken for the nearby office of the IG and now construction of a multi-storey CIA complex would obviously entail similar security arrangements and the life of the residents will become a living hell.

He said the land taken for this construction was previously used for single-storey residences of police officers. He requested to stop the authorities from raising construction of the investigation complex keeping in view that the area was purely residential having residences and schools and the same will put lives of residents at peril and jeopardise the safe and security of the whole area.

On behalf of the inspector general of police Punjab a report was submitted but the judge declined to accept it and had directed to an assistant advocate general to furnish complete record of the approval, if any, or admit that the police had the privilege to erect its complexes without any permission anywhere in the country.