Police book 24 traders for resisting drive against encroachments

MARDAN: The Hoti Police Station official has booked 24 traders for allegedly hurling threats at an assistant commissioner and resisting the anti-encroachment team at the Shaheedano Bazaar.

Assistant Commissioner Gul Bano reported to police that accompanied by Additional Assistant Commissioner-1 Gul Nawaz Khan, Tehsil Officer Regulations Hanif Khan, Tehsil Municipal Administration staff and local police she was busy in removing encroachments at the Shaheedano Bazaar.

The official said traders identified as Hafiz Dawood, Shahjehan and owner of Israr Formica Center along with other traders seized the TMA vehicle and started snatching the items confiscated from the shopkeeper during the operation. She said the traders took hold of her vehicle and took the staff hostage. The assistant commissioner said the traders threatened her and the team which was tasked with removing encroachments.

She added she and other team members alighted from the official vehicle and had to walk to the spot. The assistant commissioner said meanwhile the traders gathered at the Shaheedano Bazaar and blocked the road for traffic in protest. The official said shopkeepers Hafiz Dawood, Ghulam Sarwar, Shahjehan, Shamsher, Shahzad, Parveez Khan, owner of Jan Hotel, Naseem Khan, Saleem, Inayat, Khan, Imtiyaz, Khalid, Hamid, Faisal, Ayaz, Nabi, Tariq, Rafique Bacha, Haji Ikram, Gul Zahid, Lalzada and Yousaf delivered provocative speeches against the district administration.

The Hoti Police registered a case against the traders under sections 341,342,186,506,148/149 of the Pakistan penal code and the Local Government Act. Assistant Commissioner Gul Bano told The News the encroachments disturb the traffic and movements in the bazaars. She said the district administration started the anti-encroachment operation in the Mardan city on the directives of Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Abid Wazir to retrieve footpaths which were public spaces.

The official said make-shift stalls and pushcarts placed on the footpaths were troubling the pedestrians and even impeding the free flow of traffic.

Gul Bano added she was not afraid of such threats hurled and hurdles created by traders and vowed to continue the anti-encroachment operation without any fear or favour.