LAHORE, Jan 13: The administrations of Data Gunj Bakhsh and Samanabad towns have removed all encroachments from the roads that will be route of the third International Lahore Marathon.

“Launched on the Ferozpur, Lytton and Bahawalpur roads besides adjoining lanes and arteries on Friday morning, the anti-encroachment operation was completed before noon (Jan 13) without any untoward incident,” officials of the two local bodies said on Saturday.

Over a hundred tables, counters and carts were taken into custody on Ferozepur Road, especially from near the ND High School and Mariana Tower.

Around a dozen bodies of vehicles from Bahawalpur and Lytton roads, besides adjacent thoroughfares were removed.

“At some places we have to seek the cooperation of union councils’ nazims and representatives of traders’ bodies,” the officials said and added that they would have to return the seized goods and material only after imposing fine.

“We have not been empowered to confiscate such things and some 40 per cent of the encroachments will be returned on Monday or Tuesday as these have been removed temporarily by the influential encroachers themselves for the annual race,” the officials claimed.