RAWALPINDI: The Punjab Enforcement and Regulatory Authority’s (Pera) Rawalpindi chapter, established to control inflation, hoarding and, most importantly, encroachments, has been unable to clear roads of encroachments to ensure smooth traffic flow.
The Pera Force, a special group operating under the Rawalpindi district administration, has a dedicated uniform and is tasked with tackling encroachments, improving public convenience, ensuring clean and safe public spaces and supporting the government’s welfare agenda.
The special force comprises 52 personnel and is headed by Sub-Divisional Enforcement Officer (SDEO) Muhammad Irfan.
It has 22 motorbikes for patrolling the city to spot encroachments and maintain safe public spaces. In addition, the fleet includes three single-cabin vehicles and one double-cabin vehicle.
However, the force lacks trucks required to transport confiscated carts and other items during crackdowns in city areas.
The deputy commissioner serves as chairperson of the district enforcement and regulatory board, while the district police officer (DPO/CPO), district attorney and additional deputy commissioner (general) are among the board’s main members.
Muhammad Irfan claimed that Pera has succeeded in clearing Murree Road and Iqbal Road of encroachments, with no vendors or carts present. He added that efforts were underway to clear other roads as well.
He told Dawn that Pera had been working hard to clear roads and footpaths of encroachments to ensure smooth traffic flow, but faced persistent issues due to the behaviour of encroachers, particularly vendors and hawkers who return shortly after the staff move ahead.
He said that due to the lack of trucks, the force must request assistance from the municipal authority, which often does not cooperate.
Pera also faces interference from the car dealers’ mafia and sometimes influential individuals and officials from the chamber of commerce while removing encroachments.
A visit around the garrison city shows that, despite occasional clean-ups, encroachments remain widespread. The Pera wing is routinely assigned targets by the district administration to detain those violating price control, reportedly to present achievements to the Punjab chief minister, even as encroachment removal and price control efforts remain inconsistent.
Ground realities indicate that encroachments persist in long-affected areas such as Raja Bazaar, Iqbal Road, Saidpur Road, Commercial Market Satellite Town, Sadiqabad, Board Bazaar, College Road, Tipu Road and other parts of the city.
An old-time resident, asked about improvements in curbing encroachments, remarked, “The government may form any enforcement force; nothing will change unless the top district administration and municipal officials commit themselves to implementing the government’s public welfare agenda.”
A university lecturer, who identified himself as Asif Bajwa, said the effectiveness of any government, good or bad, is judged by the performance of civic authorities and the district administration, as they represent the government at ground level.
He added that the district administration enjoys perks and privileges but does little for public welfare, pointing to persistent encroachments, broken roads and traffic police struggling to manage traffic on dilapidated streets.
Shopkeepers have rented out their front space to vendors who encroach on both footpaths and roads, making traffic movement difficult.
With a shortage of parking areas, motorists and motorcyclists struggle to find space when visiting markets and shops.
The district administration has announced multiple plans for parking plazas, but few have materialised. The public and road users, who pay millions in taxes, remain without basic facilities.
Muhammad Azhar, a resident of Chaklala, said civic authorities can only improve when top management officials are appointed purely on merit.
Published in Dawn, December 12th, 2025