KOHAT: The local administration has decided to launch an anti-encroachment operation in the district.

The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Kohat tehsil assistant commissioner Farrukh Nazir on Monday. Representatives of traders’ unions were also in attendance. The meeting decided to launch operation against encroachments on Bannu and Hangu roads to ease traffic congestion on these arteries.

The assistant commissioner asked the Kohat municipal officer to prepare a plan against encroachments and handcarts within two weeks and execute it as soon as possible.

The official said that the business community would be first asked to remove the encroachment on their own, otherwise, they would be removed through an operation. He said if anyone created hurdles he would be arrested, fined and sent to prison.

Mr Nazir said that the anti-encroachment drive was meant to make way for widening of the Bannu road. He asked the municipal committee to find a suitable place to shift hand cart owners there.

TRADER LOOTED: Unidentified motorcyclists on Monday deprived a businessman of money at gunpoint in Happy Valley here.

Syed Muzaffar Shah told the police that two motorcyclists snatched a hand bag from him containing Rs0.3 million when he along with his son reached Happy Valley.

The cantonment police registered case and began investigation.

FORGERY CASE: The divisional anti-corruption department on Monday registered a forgery case against officials of excise and taxation.

Musatafa Gul, assistant director anti-corruption, told journalists that former excise and taxation officer, Mohammad Iqbal, inspector Nazim and steno-typist Faqeer Khan were involved in making fake documents of vehicles, including non-custom-paid vehicles.

He said the police were conducting raids for arrest of the accused. He also warned the people not to register vehicles through corrupt ways which later became headache for them.

ROAD REPAIR ORDERED: The Kohat division commissioner Jalaluddin has directed the Frontier Highway Authority to immediately repair the dilapidated Kohat-Peshawar and Bannu roads.

He issued the directives at a meeting here on Monday.

The commissioner also asked the forest department officials to plant trees along the Hangu-Doaba road which were removed during widening of the road.