Cantt building scam exposed

The cantonment executive officer has also enforced a zero-tolerance policy against illegal constructions., Cantonment Executive Officer Amir Rashid, after receiving complaints regarding illegal commercial constructions, violations of building plans and constructions carried out without approved building plans in different wards of the cantonment, constituted a CEO special inspection team comprising Senior Draftsman Raja Ishrat, Super Checker Nasir Yousaf, and Draftsmen Yasir Arafat and Mannan Ahmed.

He handed over 100 commercial construction files to the team. Sources said when the special inspection team conducted field inspections of these files, it emerged that commercial properties had parking violations, constructions had been carried out without setbacks and approved building plans had been violated.

In some cases, commercial buildings had already been completed before building plans submitted to the Cantonment Board office for approval were approved. Large-scale commercial constructions had also been carried out without building plans, involving extensive violations of Cantonment Board building codes.

The relevant building inspectors allegedly remained deliberately silent, allowing not only the completion of these constructions but also causing the Cantonment Board a loss of millions of rupees as fees related to the approval of building plans could not be collected.

Following the report of the CEO special inspection team, four building inspectors found involved in corruption and corrupt practices - Bilal Gujjar of Ward 9, Bilal Raza of Ward 8, Bilal Ahmed of Ward 5 and Imran Bhatti of Ward 10 - were suspended, while Muhammad Sadaqat, a building inspector, was dismissed from service.

It was also revealed that the Land Branch had been assisting field staff in connection with illegal commercial constructions. After a composition fee was fixed, the file was allegedly kept pending and illegal constructions were completed during this period.

All staff of the Land Branch have been posted there for a long period, and their alleged collusion with the field staff of the Building Control Department also came to light during the investigation by the CEO special inspection team., the CEO special inspection team has been tasked with continuing to examine commercial constructions in all 10 wards of the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board in accordance with building bylaws and building codes and reporting the violations found to the competent authority.