LAHORE - The district administration on Tuesday sealed two parks adjacent to Sharif family’s residences during an operation against encroachments in Model Town.

The operation was conducted at 3pm when heavy contingents of police arrived in Model Town’s H-Block where seven houses of relatives of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and former Punjab chief minister Shehbaz Sharif are located.

The district administration assisted by police also demolished structures built in the parks and closed main entrances to the parks. A spokesperson for the district administration told The Nation the staff took control of the parks due to presence of encroachments there. “We demolished a temporary kitchen and the guards sitting area at a park in front of 180-H, Model Town,” he said.

According to the spokesperson, these parks will be rehabilitated and opened for the public soon.

Model Town Assistant Commissioner Khalid Nawaz Ranjha ordered closure of both parks on Tuesday’s afternoon.

A guard at 180-H, Model Town, confirmed these parks were used as car parking during PML-N’s rule, but they were not in Sharif family’s use since Sharifs’ ouster from power in the July 2018 general election.

TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

Lahore Division Commissioner Asif Bilal Lodhi has said that traffic police will be able to point out traffic congestion and choking points. He said other departments and authorities would provide practical cooperation to traffic police to solve traffic management issue in the city. He said that Thokar Niaz Beg and Shahdara Chowk were choking points.