MINGORA/KOHAT: While traders have criticised the ongoing anti-encroachment drive in the Swat district, other people have appreciated the move, saying the action should have been taken long ago as encroachments squeezed space for pedestrians and motorists alike.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has directed to raze every structure constructed illegally in the province.

“This is unbelievable to see large number of buildings demolished by the district administration. They not only have razed shops but also residential buildings alongside the roads,” Iqbal Ahmad, a resident of Khwazakhela, told Dawn.

He added that being a social activist he appreciated the move as every major road was thinned by illegal constructions.

The anti-encroachment operation has been conducted in all the major towns of Swat, including Barikot, Khwazakhela, and Matta markets and some areas in Kabal,” said Baber Ali, a university student.

“The major cause of traffic jams is encroachment of roads in Swat,” said Javed, a resident of Mingora.

However, traders and businessmen criticised the drive and said the district administration demolished their valuable properties illegally.

“The district administration must have checked and verified the legal documents of our properties before demolishing them,” said Amjad Ali, a trader in Khwazakhela. He said the government should pay compensation to the affected people.

“The PTI tsunami has washed away poor people by demolishing their houses under the pretext of encroachments,” said Fatahullah Khan, a political worker in Kabal tehsil. He demanded of the government to compensate the affected traders.

When contacted, chief municipal officer, Mingora, Hayat Shah told Dawn that the anti-encroachment drive was continuing without any pressure to clear the roads and ensure smooth traffic on them.

Meanwhile, the local administration officials said that NHA and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Highway Authority had been directed to remove encroachments on their roads and highways.

In Kohat, the district administration on Sunday demolished shops constructed on the site of old prison building and the vegetable market during the ongoing anti-encroachment drive. The shop owners are mostly Afghan nationals.

The anti-encroachment drive was supervised by assistant commissioner Ali Asghar.

Sources said the encroachers paid monthly to the tehsil municipal administration to keep their business running.

Published in Dawn, May 18th, 2015

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