The Pakistan Muslim
League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Punjab government is causing a loss of millions of rupees
to the national exchequer, as all political billboards of the party are
installed without paying a single penny to the Parks and Horticulture Authority
(PHA) and most of them violate the PHA Outdoor Publicity Policy framed to
regularise outdoor advertisement in 2008, Pakistan Today has learnt.
Since the PML-N, led by Shahbaz Sharif, assumed power in Punjab in 2008,
outsized billboards bearing big pictures of PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif, ministers
and parliamentarians were installed on roads, rooftops and even in residential
areas while all of them are untaxed and defy rules.
According to Punjab Gazette, copy of which is available with Pakistan Today, PHA
laid down regulations in exercise of the power conferred under Section 44 of the
Punjab Development of Cities Act 1976 with government notification No SO
(P)-3-4/98 on September 21, 1998 when Shahbaz was enjoying his first stint as
Punjab CM. The regulations ban all sort of billboards on roadside areas and
rooftops that could disturb the skyline. They also prohibit installation of
billboards in residential localities.
But a political billboard is placed on one side of the residence of Punjab
Excise and Taxation Minister Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman at Cooper Store Locality
near GT Road. Some hoardings carrying pictures of the PML-N leadership are
affixed on an iron-made gate at the Garhi Shahu Bridge. Some billboards
showcasing snaps of PML-N Member of the National Assembly (MNA) and Shahbaz’s
son Hamza Shahbaz are installed on the rooftop at a building near the Lahore
Hotel. Adding insult to injury, all of them were installed without the formal
permission of PHA.
“Their presence in different parts of the city is mocking the Punjab government,
which loves to talk about merit, impartiality, good governance and treating
everyone, including itself, equal in compliance of law,” a senior PHA official
told Pakistan Today. PHA Additional Director General Captain (r) Usman Younis
said that he did not know anything about the issue, as he recently assumed
office. Now, he has been tasked to renovate and establish parks on directions of
PHA Director General (DG) Abdul Jabbar Shaheen. Younis said that he would look
into the matter.
A senior PHA official told Pakistan Today that the Punjab government had
deliberately kept the issue of political advertisement out of PHA regulations.
“Although there are other political billboards of various political parties,
including the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), but the real beneficiary is the
PML-N, which has spread the billboards for blitz publicity,” he added. At the
time of outlining the outdoor publicity policy, PHA officials suggested to tax
political outdoor advertisement including billboards, hoardings, streamers and
banners, another official said. “They opined that inclusion of recommendations
had to rack up bumper revenue. But the issue was put on the backburner on the
plea that it would open a new pandora box,” he added.
An official of the marketing department said that political parties, including
the PML-N and the PPP, were not paying advertisement charges to the PHA for
displaying billboards and other publicity stuff, as the outdoor publicity policy
was silent in this regard. “Political parities put up billboards and banners
whenever they have to welcome their leaders in their areas, sing praises of
leadership steps, celebrate special occasions and stage protests. They spend
huge money on preparation and installation of advertisement stuff but never pay
a single penny to PHA to help increase revenue,” he added.
“We also cannot pull down outdoor publicity stuff of lawyers and journalists. We
requested a private TV channel to remove rooftop billboards but had to face
threats,” the official said. Some months ago, Shahbaz ordered to launch a
campaign to remove all billboards from the city. The CM had instructed the PHA
to get all billboards removed considering them a threat to the beauty and life
of the people. PHA also planned to convert Mall Road into a free-board zone by
removing all advertisement billboards erected on either side of the road to
restore its original beauty.
The numbers of billboards were also reduced to maintain skyline of the city. PHA
claimed to have removed all billboards installed in violation of the publicity
policy but political hoardings remained untouched.