Banni traders forced to raze shops’ front

Rawalpindi : The Municipal Corporation Rawalpindi (MCR) authorities Wednesday forced eight shop owners to raze parts of their shops at the Banni Chowk which had been declared legal by the court in 2001.

As per reports, four days before the launch of operation, the MCR authorities summoned the shop owners to produce all documents, including ownership and building plan.

As per direction, the approved documents, including the judgement of civil court passed in 2001, were furnished with the authorities.

The court judgment had declared veranda as part of the suit shops but the MCR officials threw the court judgment away and threatened the shop owners to raze lawful parts of their shops on their own or these will be bulldozed.

The shop owners were assured that they will be informed prior to the operation but ratting on their commitment, the MCR officials reached the scene on Wednesday morning along with trucks, lifters and other equipment to demolish the verandas of all shops.

The brass-necked staff, including Superintendent Pervez Mughal, Inspectors Fiaz, Zaka Shah, Javed, Tayyeb and others, refused to accept the court orders and threw them away.

They said they could not do anything as they were under orders to demolish shops without notice.

According to the MCR staff, CEO Shafqat Raza, MPO Shahzad Haider and Superintendent Freezan Khan had ordered them to demolish shops immediately without prior notice.

They also misbehaved with the shop owners first at their offices and then at Banni Chowk without any rhyme or reason. The affected shopkeepers have appealed to the chief justice of Lahore High Court and sessions judge Rawalpindi to take notice of violation of court orders and misbehaviour of the MCR staff towards the shopkeepers.