MURREE: The Town Municipal Administration (TMA) has started an anti-encroachment drive but is allegedly not taking action against illegally constructed multi-storey buildings.

The focus of the campaign has been small cabins and residential buildings, said local people.

They said a large number of cabins and other structures were removed on Rawalpindi-Murree-Kashmir Highway from Chattar, Tret, Company Bagh, Samili Tajal, Ghora Gali and Bansra Gali. Similarly, a campaign was started on Islamabad-Murree Dual Carriageway also known as Murree Expressway.

Abdul Hameed Abbasi, former president Anjuman Tajiran, Asad Iqbal Advocate, President RADO a local NGO, Hafiz Saeed Abbasi, Prof Ashfaq Kaleem Abbasi, Prof Shakil Abbasi and others said action was being taken only against shopkeepers, cabin holders and small vendors and those who were involved in illegal construction of multi-storey buildings were being spared.

They said the illegal builders were being given an opportunity to regularise their multi-storey buildings.

When contacted, Assistant Commissioner Murree Imtiaz Ahmad Khitchi said under the Clean and Green Pakistan programme a campaign had been launched to recover state land from encroachers. He said so far more than 50 kanals had been recovered. He said he had chalked out a strategy to recover the state land and clear roads of encroachments.

The official said action had been started on Rawalpind-Murree-Kashmir Highway and a large area from Chattar to Bansra Gali had been cleared. Some areas at Sunny Bank, Cart Road, have also been cleared.

Three kanals of Auqaf department at Tret has also been recovered from encroachers. He said a large area was also retrieved during the drive on the expressway.

Any constructions on the right of way of roads, including buildings, illegally installed billboards of housing societies, are being removed, he added.

Published in Dawn, October 28th, 2018

Download the new Dawn mobile app here:

Google Play

Apple Store