48 ‘illegally-built’ shops around seminary to be razed

MULTAN: The city district administration has ordered an anti-encroachment operation against shops illegally constructed around Madrassa Qasimul Aloom on state land at Gulgasht Gol Bagh.

Talking to journalists here on Monday, Deputy Commissioner Mudassar Riaz Malik said that illegal occupants misused the lease deed and illegally commercialised the state land. He said the only objective of the campaign was to vacate the state land rather than destroying the business of any person. He said each inch of state land would be retrieved from the occupants.

He said the seminary administration leased out the piece of state land years ago and constructed 48 shops on commercial basis, which was illegal and against the law. The seminary administration was receiving thousands of rupees monthly rent and the city administration has decided to recover its outstanding dues. He said that the shopkeepers had been directed to vacate the shops within 48 hours otherwise the administration would remove the shops.

Currently, Jamiat Ulema Islam-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman runs the seminary where 48 shops had been constructed in past. His son MNA Asad Mehmood was looking after the affairs of the seminary. The market net worth of the illegally land is more than Rs2 billion. The administration has decided serving recovery notices worth Rs250 million to shopkeepers. Former caretaker of the seminary, Sufian Bin Qasim, alleged that the administration was determined to demolish shops on the pressure of the JUI-F leader because the shops were not in his possession. He said a case was under trial with the court and the Lahore High Court Multan Bench had issued a stay order until November 11. He said that his grandfather Mufti M Shafi had established the seminary in 1952.

Qasim said that Maulana Fazlur Rehman had occupied the seminary few years back and ousted them with the powers of the then PML-N government. However, the court allowed them to continue possession of shops and issued the stay order but the administration was looking after the vested interest of Maulana Fazlur Rehman by demolishing all shops. He said that he had met the DC but he refused to accept the stay order.

Meanwhile, Madrassa Qasimul Aloom spokesperson Obaidur Rehman condemned demolishing seminary shops. He alleged that it was part of retaliation of Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf government against Maulana Fazlur Rehman. He said the seminary administration had allocated a piece of land measuring two-kanal and 16-marla for construction of shops to run the financial affairs of seminary out of total 16-kanal area of the seminary. The allegation of occupation of the seminary or pressure on the administration was also rejected.