NAROWAL: The district administration and the Punjab Enforcement Regulatory Authority (Pera) Force in an operation against encroachments have demolished 916 shops and houses while 636 temporary encroachments were also removed in Sialkot on Tuesday.
Sialkot Deputy Commissioner Saba Asghar Ali told Dawn that a grand operation against illegal constructions and encroachments was underway and it would continue without any discrimination.
She said that a similar operation was also underway in Pasrur tehsil under the leadership of Assistant Commissioner Sidra Sattar in collaboration with the Pera Force.
She said that the operation was carried out in Pasrur city, Chunda Town and other areas on the indication of the revenue department. She said that illegal constructions and encroachments had been demolished in 18 different markets and roads. Shops and houses were demolished with the help of heavy machinery, she added.
She said that teams from the Pasrur tehsil administration, Pera Force, revenue department, Rescue 1122, GEPCO and Pasrur Municipal Committee took part in the operation.
AC Sattar told Dawn that the operation was carried out in the Railway Road, Kachhari Road, Sialkot Road, Daska Road, Mianwali Bangla Road, Chunda Railway Crossing and other areas. She said that during the joint operation, 916 permanent structures including shops and houses were demolished. She said that during the operation, 636 temporary encroachments were also removed and the municipal committee had taken possession of the goods.
She said that an FIR had also been registered against a shopkeeper for interference and causing obstruction during the operation. She said that heavy fines had been imposed on shopkeepers for temporary encroachments despite being issued warnings. She said that Rs9.26 million had been collected from shopkeepers as fines.
Pera District Officer Muhammad Shafiq said that illegal occupants had encroached on 45 acres of government land and commercial land worth Rs5,058 million had been recovered during the operation.
Shopkeepers Arsalan and Shahzad Ahmed said that businesses were already under constraints due to the financial situation and natural disasters. They said that during all this, the business community was being harassed under the guise of encroachments.
Shopkeepers and the business community demanded that the chief minister provide them with financial assistance for the construction and repair of shops and houses.
On the other hand, citizens Muhammad Ehsan and Ali Raza said that the operation against illegal constructions and encroachments by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz was a commendable step. They said that markets and roads were now more open and accessible.
Published in Dawn, February 19th, 2026