Major anti-encroachment drive launched in Peshawar

PESHAWAR: The district administration on Thursday launched a major campaign against encroachments on the Ring Road and dismantled dozens of structures to pave the way for service road on both sides of the busy route.
The anti-encroachment campaign was launched after a recent meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, to build service roads on both sides of the Ring Road.
A major portion on both sides of the Ring Road was in possession of influential people who used it for business purposes.
The task to retrieve the precious public property was given to the Peshawar district administration.
Deputy Commissioner Riaz Khan Mahsud had convened a meeting on Wednesday and devised the plan against encroachments and launched the drive on Thursday.
Keeping in mind resistance by the encroachers, the district administration had made security arrangements and deployed a large number of police and paramilitary Frontier Constabulary (FC) personnel.
The district administration through heavy machinery pulled down 22 shops and structures established in four filling stations on the public property.
The campaign against encroachments was started from Hayatabad Toll Plaza and it would continue till the government property is retrieved, Deputy Commissioner Riaz Khan Mahsud told journalists on the occasion.
He supervised the drive while Additional Deputy Commissioner Osama Ahmad Waraich and other officials including Assistant Commissioner Mumtaz Ahmad, Additional Assistant Commissioners Mohammad Shoaib, Altaf Khan, Fawad Ahmad, director of PDA Afzal Afridi were also present.
Talking to reporters, Osama Ahmad Waraich said the operation against encroachments would continue till the government property is recovered on both sides of the Ring Road.