KOHAT: The district administration on Monday launched an anti-encroachment drive and demolished illegally-built commercial properties worth millions of rupees in Jungle Khel Bazaar.

The drive was launched after the All Tajir Ittehad held negotiations with the administration officials and agreed to allow demolition of illegal structures.

Earlier, the traders’ body was resisting the anti-encroachment drive.

However, Markzai Tajir action committee, the mouthpiece of several unions of business community, insisted that the All Tajir Ittehad was a dummy organisation created by the administration for its own interests and did not represent the vast majority of business community.

It also condemned the encroachment of tehsil municipal plaza and turning its front yard into a parking lot by the authorities.

The relevant assistant commissioner said nobody would be allowed to illegally occupy government property. He said he would also take action against the illegal shops constructed on the nullah in KDA.

Assistant housing officer of Kohat Development Authority, Asimullah said the nullah was their property but could not give a satisfactory answer to how it was allowed to be encroached upon.

Mohammad Abid Khan, secretary general of Markzai Tajir action committee, after a meeting with the businessmen rejected the agreement reached between the Tajir Ittehad and the district administration to demolish the structures.

He said the agreement did not have the consent of most of the traders.

He also condemned imposition of Rs2.2 million development tax by tehsil council. He said the contract had been given to a blue-eyed man at a very low price because earlier the same was awarded for Rs10 million. Moreover, he argued such tax could only be imposed at the start of a fiscal year whereas it had been enforced from Nov 1.

Meanwhile, tehsil nazim Malik Taimoor told mediapersons on Monday said the taxes had legal cover of the resolutions of the council. He invited the Markzai Tajir action committee for talks on the matter.

SECTION 144: Deputy commissioner Matiullah Khan on Monday imposed section 144 banning pillion-riding for five days to maintain peace on the occasion of Eid Miladun Nabi.

An official statement said the section had been enforced with immediate effect and violators would be punished under 188 CrPc and sent to prison. The ban would run from Nov 19 to 23.

Published in Dawn, November 20th, 2018