04 October 2004	Monday	18 Shaban 1425

KARACHI, Oct 3: Lyari Town administration on Saturday launched a drive against encroachers around Lea Market. During the drive, road side illegal structures creating hindrance in traffic flow were removed.

For years encroachers have been occupying footpaths and were running their business along busy roads in the area.

An inter-section built along the Tonga stand and near Gadap bus stop, which was hindering smooth flow of traffic, had also been demolished. Earlier, in the morning, the town's anti-demolition staff removed encroachments from Shah Waliullah Road and Siddiq Wahab Road. However, it seemed that transporters remained unmoved by the operation, as they were seen parking their vehicles in the middle of the roads, as usual, in violation of traffic rules.

The much-awaited operation, which had been postponed many times in the past because of the resistance put up by the transporters, was launched in the morning at 10am and continued till the evening.

Town Nazim Abdul Khalique, accompanied by TMO Aftab Ahmed and EDO (encroachment) Abdul Malik and other officials, was present at the site to supervise the operation. The town nazim admitted that the operation could not succeed unless the Traffic police took effective steps and check the upcountry transporters who park their vehicles in the middle of the road.

The nazim said: "We have performed our job by removing encroachments and it is now the duty of the Traffic police to play its role in regulating the traffic flow by taking action against the transporters who violate traffic regulation."

Seeking the cooperation of the city nazim and Traffic officials to make the drive effective, he suggested for shifting of the upcountry transporters' business to some other place.

The nazim said: "this is very serious problem and could not be solved by the town administration alone", adding that the elected representatives of Lyari Town had been pressing the government to take early steps for shifting goods transporters from the market and its adjoining areas.

The nazim urged the TPO and other police officials concerned to extend their support in removing encroachments from the town. Because of encroachments at Lea Market and other areas, people have to suffer a lot and pedestrians remain at the mercy of shopkeepers who put up their paraphernalia on footpaths, and these remain in their occupation throughout the day.