HARIPUR, Aug 11: The Sarhad Development Authority demolished about 45 stalls and shops built illegally on the roadside in the Hattar Industrial Estate on Tuesday. SDA sources told Dawn on Wednesday that vendors had been repeatedly warned of legal action through notices but they did not pay heed to them, leading the SDA to demolish these kiosks with the help of police.

The source said that there was about an equal number of such structures in other phases of the HIE who had been told to vacate the space they had been occupying for the past many years. They said that the same action would soon be taken in those localities if the encroachments were not removed.

An affected kiosk owner criticized the SDA operation. He alleged that the SDA employees were themselves involved in encouraging encroachment as they received monthly bhatta from vendors.