Kaghan shopkeepers asked to demolish illegal structures

MANSEHRA: The National Highway Authority (NHA) has served final notices on markets and shops to voluntarily demolish the structures in the right-of-way of Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad road in Kaghan valley.

“We have serviced notices on the owners whose property comes in the MNJ road’s right-of-way for voluntary removal and if they don’t remove encroachments within the stipulated time, we will demolish it through the heavy machinery and charge them for the expenses incurred on the operation,” Shamsur Rehman, NHA deputy director, told reporters here on Monday.

He said that over 573 owners whose property came in right-of-way from Mansehra to Babusar Top were served with notices.“We will complete this anti-encroachment drive in three phases as the Kaghan valley would remain blocked from December to mid-May, next year,” said the official.

He said the first phase of the drive would start next week from Kawai to Kaghan as over 84 owners of properties had been served with final notices.“The basic purpose of the anti-encroachment drive is to retrieve the land occupied by encroachers to ensure a smooth flow of traffic,” said the official. He said that in the second phase, the right-of-way from Mansehra to Kawai and in the third phase MNJ Road from Kaghan to Babusar top would be cleared of encroachment.