Shops, other structures razed during anti-encroachment drive

ABBOTTABAD: Local administration once again carried out an anti-encroachment campaign in Khoker Maira area on Karakoram Highway near Havelian interchange and demolished a multi-storey Plaza as well as 20 newly constructed shops.

The administration also retrieved five kanals of commercial land worth around Rs200 million in the presence of revenue staff, officials of National Highways Authority and police.

This was the second consecutive move by the local administration in which public property was recovered from land grabbers, who were reportedly backed by a political personality of the province.

Earlier, one kanal commercial land worth Rs30 million was reclaimed and the building was demolished near Muslimabad police station. Assistant Commissioner Abbottabad Muhammad Hassaan Ahsan, who supervised the operation, demolished the multi-storey plaza along with 20 shops despite strong resentment by the “investors” who almost completed the building on government owned precious property.

Assistant Commissioner Muhammad Hassaan Ahsan, when contacted, said that they have carried out operation after fulfilling all legal requirements and National Highway Authority has already served notices to the people who were involved in the illegal construction.