Anti-encroachment drive: 100 illegal structures demolished in Mansehra

MANSEHRA: The district administration on Saturday pulled down over 100 hotels, houses and other structures during an anti-encroachment drive launched on the directives of the Chief Minister in the Kaghan valley under the tourism promotion initiative in the province.

“This well-coordinated anti encroachment driver launched by the order of Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has achieved its first day targets as we have pulled down almost all buildings coming in the way of the Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad road,” Deputy Commissioner Dr Qasim Ali Khan told reporters here.

He said that the pre-dawn operation, in which over 200 police personnel were deputed and almost all civic departments were its part, was initiated at four places simultaneously as a strategy from Kuwai to Kaghan.

“Our coordination and strategy remained highly successful as nobody could put up the resistance and buildings already marked were grounded through heavy machinery,” Dr Qasim.

The deputy commissioner said anti-encroachment driver, which was finalised in a meeting presided over by the chief minister and attended among others by the chief secretary and Commissioner Hazara, was a bold step in order to preserve the ecology and scenic beauty of the Kaghan valley.

“Now we would demolish buildings and structures at Kunhar River at a level where it flooded in 1992 and swept away buildings and shops,” Dr Qasim said.

He added that the second phase of the operation would be initiated to pull down the buildings from snowbound Kaghan to Babusar top.

“We have a zero tolerance for the encroachments in the entire district but particularly in Kaghan valley which is a tourist hub and nature lovers thrown here not only from within the country but abroad in a large number every year,” Dr Qasim said.