Drive against encroachments from tomorrow

SAHIWAL, April 14: District and tehsil municipal administration (TMA) officials will restart removing encroachments in the city from April 16 and traders have been told to remove illegal structures voluntarily. The TMA had to stop the operation last month on the intervention of provincial Minister for Zakat and Ushr Malik Nadeem Kamran who was pestered by shopkeepers. Officials, however, gave a 15-day deadline to them to remove the structures built in front of their shops. TMA Administrator Sohail Ashraf told Dawn they had retrieved Rs2 billion state land occupied by shopkeepers at Church Road, Khokha Bazaar Road, Jahaz Ground, Pakpattan Chowk, Five Ways Chowk, Faridia Park and High Street. But the TMA had to suspend the operation for 15 days despite its good pace and results due to political pressure. District Coordination Officer Waqas Ali Mahmood says the anti-encroachment drive will be made a success. He also urged traders and shopkeepers to stay within the limits of TMA building lines.