SWABI: The district administration has demolished several markets in Gadoon Amazai Industrial Estate (GAIE) and its suburbs as a part of the anti-encroachment campaign here on Tuesday, said officials and market owners.

The district administration officials, police along with the revenue department officers and workers, who demarcated the public property where the influential people had constructed markets for many years, carried out massive anti-encroachment operation in the area.

The market owners said that for the first time that such a large-scale anti-encroachment operation had taken place and large markets were razed to the ground.

They, however, complained that the district administration did not give notices to them before taking action, alleging none of the market owners received any notice earlier and due to sudden action they suffered huge financial losses, adding that was the reason they protested against the administration’s action.

On the contrary, when the government officials were contacted, they said that they had fulfilled all the legal requirements, as notices were given to all the market owners in advance and they were told to shift their goods and belongings and vacate the public property, which they had occupied.

Officials in the deputy commissioner office said that the operation would continue till the objectives were achieved, adding the big issue was that the people had built houses and markets on rainwater ways, causing huge damage during the current monsoon season.

Published in Dawn, July 23rd, 2025