Encroachments irk twin cities’ residents

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Vendors have encroached upon footpaths in different commercial areas of the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, creating problems not only for pedestrians but also hampering the smooth flow of traffic.
The shopkeepers and vendors at Karachi Company, Aabpara, Faizabad, Bahara Kohu, Raja Bazaar, Commercial Market, Double Road and adjoining bazaars have encroached on the footpaths.
A resident of G-7, Ajmal Khan, said the authorities concerned were making false claims that they had cleared the city of all illegal encroachments.
Shopkeepers display goods on pavements while vendors put up stalls on footpaths, forcing pedestrians to walk in the middle of the roads.
The residents said that crossing the roads was very difficult for them because all footpaths had been covered with illegal encroachments. He added that it is the prime duty of the authorities concerned to keep footpaths and roads clear of encroachments.
When contacted, an official of enforcement department of the CDA said that the CDA had removed encroachments from markets several times.
He said the CDA was committed to keeping pedestrian ways clean and safe for pedestrians and it was a baseless allegation that the CDA had not done any practical work.
He said the CDA had warned shopkeepers not to encroach on footpaths otherwise they would be fined and dealt with strictly according to the law.
SSP holds open Kutchery: Rawalpindi Senior Superintendent Police (SSP) Operations Dr Akhtar Abbas on Saturday held an open Kutchery at Westrage police station.
A large number of people recorded their complaints and presented applications to the SSP for the redress of their complaints. The SSP also listened to the complaints of Nahid Akhtar, Muhammad Bashir, Noor Muniza, Abdur Raziq and others and issued on-the-spot orders to redress their complaints.
Haji Gulzar Awan, on the occasion, complained that a number of shisha centres, set up in the Rawalpindi Cantonment area were playing with the health of the youths. He said strict action in accordance with the law should be taken against them. The SSP issued special directives to the DSP Cantt for an action against the Shisha centres.
15 nabbed; liquor, arms seized: Police arrested 15 outlaws from various areas of the city with 10 bottles of liquor, 2.02kg of hashish, 500 grams of heroin, three pistols, one dagger and looted items.
A Shehzad Town police team arrested two persons identified as Riaz and Babar and recovered 2.04kg of hashish, two 30-bore pistols and 36 rounds from them.
Golra police arrested a drug pusher, identified as Akram, with 500 grams of heroin and Ayaz for having a 30-bore pistol.
CIA police nabbed Zeeshan Ali, Abid and Waseem for possessing looted items worth thousands of rupees. Margallah police arrested an accused Asif and recovered a dagger from him.
On a tip-off, a women police team stopped a car for checking near G-8 Markaz and recovered ten bottles of liquor from it. They arrested six occupants of the car, including four women identified as Rabia, Kalsoom, Rifat and Saadia, and Zahid Shah and Shahid Mehmud.