Encroachment mafia continues to rule the roost

Rawalpindi

The ‘encroachment mafia’ with a new vigour has come into action in the city and once again occupied streets, roads and footpaths.

No doubt, Justice Ibad-ur-Rehman Lodhi has taken this issue seriously but as he transferred to another city, ‘encroachment mafia’with full backing of concerned authority turned back to rule on roads again in this regard.

The roads, bazaars and streets became clean after Justice Ibad-ur-Rehman Lodhi of Lahore High Court Rawalpindi Bench ordered removal of encroachment from the city in 2016. The concerned authority after taking action for a while submitted its report about encroachments in the court. But, after court proceeding, all roads, streets and footpaths are once again occupied by encroachment mafia.  

The encroachments have resurfaced in Raja Bazaar, Bara Bazaar, Trunk Bazaar, China Market, Iqbal Road, City Saddar Road, Mochi Bazaar, Dalgaran Bazaar, Sadiqabad, Muslim Town, Commercial Market, Banni, Jamia Masjid Road, Asghar Mall Road, Faizabad, Double Road, Pirwadhai, Dhoke Mangtal, Dhoke Ratta, Gangmandi, Adiala Road and even Benazir Bhutto Road in city while Tench Bhatta, Chungi No.22 Road, Chur, Lal Kurti, Sher Zaman, Tulsa Road, Allabad Road, Saddar Bazaar, Hathi Chowk, Railway Road, Chota Bazaar and even Westridge Roads. The traffic remains stand still in these areas while pedestrians also face difficulties round the clock.

In 2010, the than Rawal Town administrator Muhammad Arshad Warraich completely removed encroachment mafia from city roads. But, encroachment mafia and plaza owners with the full backing of political leaders and the Rawal Town staff finally cornered Warraich, as he was made OSD at that time for cleansing the city of encroachers.

Chief Officer (CO) Rawal Town Administration Sardar Tashfeen said that they are trying to remove all encroachments from city areas. “I have instructed concerned enforcement staff to crackdown on daily basis to clean this city at any cost,” he claimed. He said that he obeys court and it was his duty to clean this city from encroachment mafia.

Reliable sources informed ‘The News’ that all encroachment inspectors and other staff of Rawal Town Administration (TMA) will be deprived of ‘monthly’ if the city is cleansed of encroachments.

Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) MPA Raja Muhammad Hanif Advocate while talking to ‘The News’ said that city should be cleaned of encroachments immediately. He advised concerned staff to remove encroachment mafia from city roads without any pressure.

It is worth mentioning here that patients in ambulances face difficulties in reaching District Headquarter Hospital (DHQ), Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) and Holy Family Hospital (HFH) because of ever-increasing encroachments in front of hospitals. The ambulances could not reach hospitals in time due to encroachment mafia.

Article source: https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/182629-Encroachment-mafia-continues-to-rule-the-roost