PESHAWAR: The district administration demolished around 650 structures illegally constructed on both sides of the Kohat Road in a major anti-encroachment drive here on Saturday.

Four persons were also arrested for resisting the anti-encroachment operation. The district administration said that the anti-encroachment drive was carried out with the cooperation of communication and works department, revenue field staff and traffic police.

It said that a large number of police personnel were also deployed to maintain law and order during the operation.

Additional deputy commissioner Irshad Sodhar told Dawn that they demolished hundreds of illegal structures constructed on both sides of the Kohat Road from Ghari Qamar Din Chowk to Scheme Chowk.

He said that around 650 structures, including shops and other constructions, were razed during the operation. He said that a mosque illegally built on the road was also among the demolished structures. He said that they also removed some 50 big hoardings erected near the Rehman Baba Flyover. “The billboards had turned into an eyesore,” he said.

Mr Sodhar said that people had constructed full-fledged shops and other structures by encroaching parts of the road. He said that the local people also cooperated with them during the operation and said that little resistance was witnessed during the course of action.

The additional deputy commissioner said that four people had been arrested for creating disturbance. He said that the drive was launched after complaints of massive encroachments along this busy road, which were resulting into frequent traffic jams and trouble for the people.

Published in Dawn, April 10th, 2016