LHC seeks reply from Rawalpindi administration about its action

Rawalpindi

Justice Ibad-ur-Rehman Lodhi of the Lahore High Court (LHC), Rawalpindi Bench, here on Tuesday directed all the Rawalpindi city administration heads to appear before the court and reply what they did for removal of encroachments from the roads.

In December last year, the LHC Bench had given 60 days to the local administration to remove encroachments but a petitioner, Anwar Dar, through his counsel Inam ul Rahiem, told the court that there is not even a slightest change in the situation.

The LHC Bench then directed the administrators of Potohar Town and Rawal Town, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Rawalpindi Cantonment Board, CEO of the Chaklala Cantonment Board, DCO Rawalpindi and the chairman of the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) to appear before the court in person on May 12 along with record.

The petition filed in December last year had been seeking from the court to order the concerned departments for removal of encroachments from the city roads.

Petitioner Muhammad Anwar Dar contended before the court that the government has no importance at all for the solution of this matter and allegedly roads and passage-ways were occupied in connivance with the city administrators.

The petitioner cited the Punjab government through secretary local government, administrator Potohar Town, administrator Rawal Town, Rawalpindi Cantonment Board, Chaklala Cantonment Board, DCO Rawalpindi and Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) as respondents.

The petitioner adopted that he, like rest of the residents of the city, has to commute on roads and streets that falls under the administrative jurisdiction of the respondents. The petitioner has to bear physical and mental stress due to various kinds of encroachments on these roads. The petitioner also bears a lot of time wastage and heavy fuel bill and vehicle of the petitioner also undergoes a lot of wear and tear because of these encroachments. Similarly, all remaining citizens of the city also undergo similar trauma and monetary losses.

Even the problem is highlighted number of times in the print and electronic media but government departments remained unmoved. There is a common perception that the roads and streets are encroached upon in connivance with respondents and their employees.

The petitioner contended that the passageways are meant for commuters. Situation has worsened to an extent that even ambulances and fire fighting vehicles are unable to reach their destination in time. The traffic jams are becoming so severe that even the children face problems while reaching schools in time. Tench Bhata, Dheri Hassanabad, Adiala Road, Saddar, Rawalpindi Cantonment, Raja Bazaar are the worst affected areas.

Traffic mess has been causing different diseases to the people. While the city administrators are approving illegal construction of marriage halls and plazas without proper car parking facilities as per rules and regulations, petitioner said. The petitioner said that the encroachments have not only narrowed the roads and streets but also the sewerage nullahs that cause floods in the city. The petitioner has prayed to the court to declare right of commuters on roads, passageways, streets, footpaths as their fundamental right and the city administrators be directed to ensure removal of all encroachments on roads from Rawalpindi city and cantonment board areas and constitute a permanent monitoring committees and complaint cells.