The district administration demolished dozens of illegal structure and shops from Punjab Regiment Center chowk to Malakand chowk on Mardan-Malakand road during a cleanup operation against encroachment in interior city area of district Mardan.
The operation was carried out in the supervision of Deputy Commissioner Usman Mahsud. Additional Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Qasim Khan, Assistant Commissioner Imran Khan, Superintendent Police SP Operation Gul Nawaz Khan, Deputy Director National Highway Authority (NHA) Anwar Usman, assistant director NHA Ihtasham Khan, TMA and rescue 1122 staff were also present during the operation.
Talking to the media Usman Mahsud said that three plazas, 60 shops and hotels were demolished during the operation. He added that encroacher mafia has occupied the NHA land from the last 30 years. The administration had directed the encroachers to remove the illegal structures voluntarily but they ignored the directives, he added.
Deputy Commissioner added that district administration issued several notices to the encroachers in this connection. He added that despite of the notices the encroachers mafia wasn't ready to vacate the government land voluntarily. He added that due to this reason the district administration compel and started operation against the encroachers on Saturday morning.
He added that this anti encroachments operation will be continued in all over the district. Usman Mahsud said that anti encroachment campaign would be extended to other localities of the district and especially in the city. He asked the people to remove encroachments at their own or get ready to face action.
He added that if any one creates problems for district administration in removing the encroachments strict action will be taken against him. The drive against encroachments would be carried out across the district to make the roads and chowk safe for the travelers, he added.