KOHAT, Feb 3: Kohat Commissioner Sahibzada Mohammad Anees has issued fresh orders to tehsil municipal administration for removal of encroachments from the city bazaars and roads to facilitate pedestrians and ensure smooth flow of traffic.

Several anti-encroachment campaigns in past have failed to produce results due to the administration’s leniency towards the business community.

Some traders and residents believe that if Afghan refugees are confined to camps, over 80 per cent of handcarts and other encroachments would disappear from city areas. However, the refugees have no alternative to earn livelihood while their aid remains suspended by the international agencies.

Besides, the IDPs influx has also been making it difficult for the administration to control roadside businesses.

Traders action committee president Haji Abid told Dawn said that the administration should first remove hundreds of handcarts from the vicinity of government high school No 2 and vegetable market if it was sincere in its efforts.

Another trader Israr Shinwari said that the local traders had been charging hefty amounts from refugees for allowing them kiosks in front of their shops.

It has been noticed that whenever the district administration launches anti-encroachment drive the traders start shutter down strike against it and after negotiations the campaign is stopped. If the administration is serious in clearing the mess it has to take strict action in all areas of Kohat city and remove all encroachments without any discrimination.

HASHISH SEIZED: Police have foiled an attempt of smuggling a big quantity of hashish to Peshawar from Hangu, according to a police statement here the other day.

It said that following a tip-off the police stopped a truck (Peshawar-7199) at Hangu railway crossing and during checking recovered 450 kilogrammes of fine quality hashish from its secret cavities.

They impounded the truck and arrested an accused, Ehsanullah of Landi Kotal. The city police said that the consignment loaded in Orakzai Agency was being smuggled to down country through Peshawar.