MANSEHRA: The Abbottabad Anti-Terrorism Court on Saturday remanded into police custody 40 miscreants, who had fired at the policemen during the ongoing anti-encroachment drive in Naran area of Kaghan valley.

Talking to reporters here, Mansehra district police officer Asif Bahadar said the miscreants were arrested when they blocked the Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad (MNJ) Road to traffic for many hours and fired at a police contingent, causing injuries to Balakot DSP, a constable and four others.

He said the accused were produced in the ATC, which handed them over to the police on a four-day physical remand.

“We have observed maximum restraint during the ongoing anti-encroachment operation and resorted only to firing in the air and tear gas shelling, that too in retaliation to quell the resistance put up by the owners of the illegal buildings,” Mr Bahadur said.

Officials say all illegal structures up to Babusar top to be removed

He said the police had booked around 300 miscreants, who fired at personnel and blocked the MNJ Road, under Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.

Mr Bahadur said around 400 policemen would remain deployed in Kaghan valley until the operation came to an end after removal of encroachments up to the Babusar top.

Meanwhile, sources said on the fourth day of the ongoing operation around 2,000 more buildings were razed in the valley.

Speaking on the occasion, Hazara division commissioner Riaz Khan Mehsud said six illegally-constructed hotels and some portions of 22 hotels were demolished along the Kaghan-Naran-Jalkhad Road. He said about 6,000 illegal cabins were also being removed. He said over 700 kanals of state land was recovered during the operation.

“A few miscreants resorted to firing and created law and order situation during the operation,” he said.

DIG Hazara Mirvas Niaz and Mansehra deputy commissioner Dr Qasim Khan were also present.

Mr Mehsud said the Kaghan Development Authority (KDA) had served notices on the owners of the buildings before launching the operation. He added owners of 290 illegally-built hotels from Balakot to Naran were also issued notices.

Separately, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police chief Moazzam Jah Ansari told reporters in Peshawar that the police had cleared of encroachments banks of the Kunhar River in Naran.

He said the operation went on smoothly till late Friday night, in which three more structures were demolished and one was sealed as its upper two floors were built in contravention of the law.

He said the officials would hold negotiations with the locals who had established a tent village on the KDA land, and if they did not agree to remove the tents on their own, then the administration would remove them by force. The police chief said the situation in Naran was under control.

Published in Dawn, July 11th, 2021