RAWALPINDI, Jan 24: The cattle-pen owners have vowed to resist municipal administration’s drive to oust buffaloes from Rawalpindi.

In a statement made by the association of milkmen here on Thursday, they said the matter was still pending before the superior courts, adding that the authorities had no right to deprive them of their livelihood.

The municipal administration has neither provided any facility nor allocated any site for them to give shelter to cattle heads fulfilling the basic need of pure milk and other dairy products.

Tehsil Nazim Rawalpindi Raja Hamid Nawaz has reiterated to launch a full fledged operation to oust buffaloes from the old city of Rawalpindi from Feb 1.

He contended that the Lahore High Court Rawalpindi bench had issued a decree ordering ouster of buffaloes from the city, adding that the court order will be implemented at all costs.

Tehsil Nazim hoped that milkmen will cooperate with the administration as the operation against cattle heads is aimed to make Rawalpindi a cleaner place to live in.

The district Nazim had already set the deadline of Jan 30 to oust all cattle heads from the city. City Nazim has sent out a severe warning for milkmen and other influential people found creating hurdles in the ouster of cattle heads.

“The city government had constituted a committee under the chairmanship of Naib Tehsil Nazim Sajjad Khan to make a successful ouster of buffaloes in Pindi.”

The City Government is of the view that cattle heads were equally responsible for the flood in Leh Nullah which had played havoc with most of the citizens.

“The canal is filled with garbage thrown by milkmen.”

Tehsil Nazim also vowed to launch an effective drive against encroachments in the city.—PPI