Illegal structures, shops demolished in Mardan

MARDAN: The district administration demolished dozens of illegal structures and shops from the Punjab Regiment Centre Chowk to Malakand Chowk on the Mardan-Malakand Road during a clean-up operation against encroachments here on Saturday.

The operation was carried out under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner Mardan, Muhammad Usman Mahsud.

Additional Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Qasim Khan, Assistant Commissioner Mohammad Imran Khan, Superintendent Police (Operations) Gul Nawaz Khan, Deputy Director National Highway Authority (NHA) Anwar Usman, Assistant Director NHA Ehtisham Khan and Rescue 1122 officials were also present during the operation.

Talking to reporters, Usman Mahsud said that three plazas, 60 shops and hotels were demolished during the operation.

He added that the encroachment mafia had occupied the NHA land since the last 30 years.

He said the administration had directed the encroachers to remove the illegal structures voluntarily, but they ignored the directives. He added that several notices were issued to the encroachers, but they were not willing to vacate the government land so action was taken against them.

Usman Mahsud said the anti-encroachment campaign would be extended to other localities in the district.