Encroachment mafia rules the roost in Rawalpindi

Rawalpindi : Not only the business community but common citizens, motorists, and routine customers have expressed concerns over the ever-increasing encroachments in different localities of the city and demanded of the district administration to remove these encroachments to end frequent traffic jams affecting their business activities round the clock.

Unfortunately, encroachments are persistently on the rise instead of going down in the past two years, thanks to Town Officer (Regulation) who was taking this issue non-seriously.

The Commissioner Rawalpindi Division Saqib Manan during a meeting with the trader community and common citizens assured to resolve the encroachment issue on a priority basis but practically it did nothing. After the assurance of Commissioner Rawalpindi Division, the encroachment mafia started to rule the roost on Murree Road.

All Pakistan Traders Association (Punjab) President Sharjeel Mir told ‘The News’ that ever-increasing encroachments have completely destroyed their business. “We have met commissioner and deputy commissioner to resolve this issue on priority but in vain,” he said. We are going to start a proper campaign to vanish encroachments from city areas because government departments have failed to control this issue, he warned.

All major markets and bazaars of the city are flowing with encroachments and traffic congestion. The areas of Raja Bazaar, Narankari Bazaar, Barra Bazaar, Dalgaran Bazaar, Mochi Bazaar, Namak Mandi Bazaar, Lal Haveli Bazaar, Sarafa Bazaar, Moti Bazaar, Iqbal Road, Commercial Market, Sadiqabad Bazaar, Muslim Town Bazaar, Khayaban Bazaar, Adiala Road Bazaars, and several other localities were packed with encroachment mafia but government officials are seeing the whole drama with closed eyes.

The Town Officer (Regulation) Imran Ali as per routine gave a policy statement that they are trying to control the encroachment mafia. They were not only removing encroachments but registering FIRs also against encroachment mafia, he claimed.

Some key post officers from Metropolitan Corporation Rawalpindi (MCR) on condition of anonymity said that political leaders are fully backing encroachments in all bazaars therefore government officers were not taking any kind of action against them.

Talking to ‘The News’ traders and common citizens said that encroachment is the biggest problem, it is difficult to walk in bazaars, due to traffic congestion, and customers face difficulty in shopping. They also said that the authorities concerned have failed to fulfil their responsibilities.