PESHAWAR: The administration of Pakistan Railways (PR) sealed hundreds of shops at Hashnagri Railway crossing here on Thursday in order to ensure safety of the people.

An official source said that encroachers had occupied both sides of the railways track in Peshawar and they were not ready to remove their shops despite the issuance of repeated notices. The shopkeepers were also avoiding paying the rent timely.

The official said that the shopkeepers offered some resistance, but the timely action of police controlled the situation. He said that the encroachments had also led to fatal incidents in the past, but even then the people continued to sit along the railway track.

He said that some of the people had moved a court against the railways, but the court rejected their plea and thus the shops were sealed.

“The government has strictly directed to remove the encroachments and recover the occupied land at all costs,” the official said and added that the railways authorities were fully determined to continue the anti-encroachment campaign.

Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2019