BAHAWALPUR: The Bahawalpur Municipal Corporation (MC) claimed to have removed all sorts of encroachments from the city’s markets and bazaars in a massive anti-encroachment operation on Wednesday.

The operation was launched on the orders of the MC administrator/Divisional Commissioner Dr Ehtasham Anwar Mahaar, with the help of heavy police contingents, using heavy machinery to remove illegal structures.

The commissioner told Dawn that the anti-encroachment operation was started on the demand of people of the city, mostly against those traders and shopkeepers who had illegally extended their business setups beyond the permitted three-foot space, causing hurdle in the movement of people, including women and children, visiting the markets for shopping.

He said most of the encroachments were in the already narrow old bazaars of the city, where shopkeepers had unlawfully rented out spaces in front of their shops, charging heavy amounts from pushcart vendors.

This illegal practice, he said, had created a lot of inconvenience both for motorcyclists and pedestrians as the entry of the vehicular traffic was already banned in the inner bazaars of the old-walled city areas.

The MC squads led by Chief Officer Muhammad Azhar started the operation inside the busy Farid Gate area and cleared all the bazaars, including Shahi Bazaar, Chowk Bazaar and Gri Ganj Bazaar, of encroachments.

After the removal of encroachments, the shoppers visiting these bazaars were astonished to see wide roads where they could move with their families without any issue.

A number of visitors to these bazaars expressed their satisfaction over the operation and said that they heaved a sigh of relief that MC officials finally swung into action for removal of encroachments, which they had been demanding since long.

After the operation was completed, the commissioner, along with Deputy Commissioner Zaheer Anwar Jappa, City Assistant Commissioner Adeal Khan and other officials inspected the bazaars and warned the shopkeepers and the officials of the corporation of strict action if encroachments resurfaced there.

They officers also reprimanded traders for unlawfully renting out spaces to vendors, saying if it happened again the traders bodies would be held accountable and stern action could also be taken against them.

On the occasion, the office-bearers of traders’ bodies assured the administration of their cooperation against all sorts of encroachments in the bazaars.

Published in Dawn, January 4th, 2024