uru Mangat Road is a two-and-half-kilometre strip from a beverage company’s factory to the Cavalry Ground flyover. The footpaths on either side of the road are lined by vendors of fruits and vegetables, animal sellers, barbecue joints, flower shops, and so on.

“Encroachments are to be found everywhere and at all times in the streets of Lahore,” says Syed Haider Hassan, a former journalist. “They’ve left no space for pedestrians.

“Show me a part of a road which has not been encroached upon,” he asks.

Recently, the caretaker government launched an anti-encroachment drive in the city with great fanfare. This is said to be a more vigorous version of a previous drive that was meant to address traffic congestion, smog and other environmental issues, on nine major roads in the areas managed by the Lahore Development Authority.

The current [anti-encroachment] operation involves the Traffic Engineering and Planning Agency, the Lahore Parking Company, City Traffic Police and the district police.

Every now and then, the city administration awakens to the idea of removing ‘encroachments’ from the city roads. When the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf came into power in the Punjab, in 2018, it launched an anti-encroachment drive across the province, with special focus on Lahore. Despite criticism from various political circles, the Usman Buzdar-led government went ahead with it. The next we saw, a plaza in Shah Alam Market demolished. Reportedly, the plaza was built on “encroached land.”

Last year, the LDA and the Metropolitan Corporation of Lahore targeted nine major roads in the city, including Zahoor Elahi Road, Hali Road, MM Alam Road; the main roads in Allama Iqbal Town (Wahdat Road to Scheme Mor via Dubai Chowk), Johar Town (Doctors’ Hospital to Expo Centre) and Township (Khokhar Chowk to Hamdard Chowk). The concerned departments have yet to release a progress report on last year’s anti-encroachment drive.

The current operation was launched on December 20. According to Deputy Commissioner Rafia Haider, who is also the MCL administrator, on the first day of the operation, 282 people were detained for illegal constructions across six zones. In a coordinated effort between the district administration and the police, areas such as Anarkali, Thokar Niaz Beg, The Mall, Yateem Khana Chowk, Shahdara, Dharampura, Canal Road and Gurdwara were cleared of illegal constructions.

Last year, the LDA and the MCL targeted nine major roads in the city, including Zahoor Elahi Road, Hali Road, MM Alam Road, Johar Town (Doctors’ Hospital to Expo Centre) and Township (Khokhar Chowk to Hamdard Chowk). The departments have yet to release a progress report on the drive.

By December 31, fines exceeding Rs 26.7 million had been imposed, 959 people arrested and 653 cases registered against people for obstructing the government’s efforts. Additionally, 839 shops were sealed. 5,413 paved sheds and shacks were demolished.

The DC has outlined a plan to halt encroachments from Shahdara Mor to Imamia Colony and from Anarkali to the Punjab Assembly. The idea is to “restore order and ease congestion.”

The operation is expected to continue so as “to ensure smooth traffic flow on the roads, echoing the caretaker government’s commitment to checking encroachments.” The DC says that prior notices were issued to businesses that had encroached upon public spaces. She also warns against any leniency with those involved in illegal constructions.

Kashif Anwar, the president of Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry, says that even though he endorses the government’s initiative, furnishing businesses with details about encroachments, coupled with a reasonable timeframe for necessary corrective measures, could be immensely helpful.

“This would afford impacted business owners a chance to fix the situation within the legal parameters, reducing disruptions to their livelihoods, while promoting compliance. Such an approach would not only guarantee adherence to legal mandates but also showcase a governance ethos that is equitable and compassionate.”

However, Commissioner Muhammad Ali Randhawa is of the view that trespass is a crime and anyone who thinks otherwise is wrong. “From violating the pedestrians’ right to blocking the way of the ambulance and rescue vans, these encroachments cause serious harm,” he says.

With election campaigns in full swing in the city, government officials are likely to slow down the anti-encroachment drive. This raises serious concerns about its effectiveness in the long run.

The writer is a media veteran interested in politics, consumer rights and entrepreneurship