MARDAN: Residents of Baghdada locality here on Tuesday blocked the Mardan-Swabi road against ‘illegal construction’ of shops and plazas by the Mardan Cantonment Board on the land owned by them.

The protesting residents, including women and children, led by district councillor Malik Ilyas, tehsil councillor Ishfaq Khan and Baghdada union council No 1 nazim Akhtar Khan, raised slogans demanding an end to the construction activity, which began two weeks ago. The road remained blocked for several hours.

Addressing the protesters, their leaders said as per the land revenue record and map of the cantonment board the land was the property of residents of Baghdada.

But, they said the Mardan Cantonment Board officials had started constructing commercial outlets on the land located along the Mardan-Swabi road.

The protesters said the illegal construction had created difficulties for the local people as the digging had led to traffic jams and damaged water supply lines.

They said the deputy commissioner had constituted as committee headed by assistant commissioner, Mardan, and assured to resolve the issue within three days, but to no avail.

They urged the president and the prime minister, COAS, KP chief minister, and corps commander Peshawar to order a halt to the construction activity on their lands.

They said they had also filed a petition in the court of senior civil judge, Mardan, urging him to stop the illegal construction.

Meanwhile, some personnel of the Army’s Punjab Regiment Centre here visited the Mardan Press Club and claimed that the land on which the cantonment board was constructing commercial shops and plazas, was actually the property of Pak Army and that they were legally authorised to carry out construction over it.

Published in Dawn, November 4th, 2015

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