The anti-encroachment drive launched by the government is poised to add to the beautification of Peshawar city which had become too much congested over the years, as general public and relevant stakeholders appreciated the government for clearing way on all bazaars and roads in city, because they feel convenient to walk through there.
Since last two-month, the anti-encroachment is being continued unabated, had so far removed 300 shops, kioks in main city bazaars, including hashtnagri, ashraf road, kochi, meena bazaars, bala mani chowk and other city areas; according to officials. They said the drive was jointly carried out on directive of the DC Peshawar, by the revenue department, Municipal Corporation Peshawar (MCP), Peshawar Development Authority (PDA), Water and Sanitation Services Peshawar (WSSP) in Peshawar.
Now-a-day, the demolition and construction of shops and roads and other structures and properties is going on elsewhere in the city because the people want to trim their illegal structures and avoid their shops and properties bulldozed by the authorities. Rare, travellers to the city get astonished when they see so much destruction and construction activities going on simultaneously. So, Peshawar is set to look more beautiful with wide open roads and lanes once the drive get completed.
The drive has generated a mixed response among traders and shopkeepers. A large number of traders have billed the drive as a sham which is unlikely to bear fruit. They drew attention to the government's failure to take strong and effective measures to deal with illegal encroachments in the past.
The officials said that anyone who were creating unnecessary hurdles before the anti-encroachment drive and prevents them from performing their work was taken appropriate action and put behind bars for violating Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance of 1960.
Initially, there were some protests demonstrations by the shopkeepers, after killing of three-labour in Ghanta ghar chowk, due to which the anti-encroachment drive was suspended for some days. Later, the drive reinvigorated with changing tactics, to carryout demolition of illegal structures alongside all city areas and along Grand Trunk Road, at late night hours, led by Municipal Corporation Zafar Ali Shah.
Against the people's expectation, there was also no hue and cry by the owners of the shops and other commercial buildings on the University Road where the people are traditionally in the habit of blockades of roads for petty matters. The stakeholders and general public strongly appreciated the policy adopted by the MCP for illegal structures and allow the occupants to trim them themselves. But, in some cases, the failure on the part of the owners, the property is then razed to the ground through bulldozers which cause more losses to the owners. However, said the overnight operation against illegal structure caused financial losses to traders, who were seeing busy to re-install their Iron Gate and re-alignment of the whole shops directions in all city bazaars.