Encroaching forest land: Kiosk owners threaten to block Murree road

Demand that eviction notices should be withdrawn

ABBOTABAD: The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa  government’s forest department  has issued eviction notices to 68 kiosk owners in Galiyat to remove their structures from encroached state land in the next ten days or face demolition.

The notices prompted kiosk owners to protest against the eviction notices, who threatened to block the Abbottabad-Murree road if the notices are not withdrawn.

Kiosk owners between Bagnotar to Bariyan along the Abbottabad-Murree road were served eviction notices two days ago.

Two years ago, when they had first set up the kiosks, the Galiyat Development Authority (GDA)  and the K-P highway authorities had harassed them. Perturbed, the kiosk owners had approached K-P Chief Minister Pervez  Khattak,  during his visit to the region and he reportedly allowed them to keep their kiosks.

“We have built these kiosks with the permission of K-P chief minister who allowed us to build kiosks to earn our living,” claimed Naheed Abbasi, a kiosk owner.



Sardar Umar, another kiosk owner who has been served the notice also  said that they had spent between Rs300,000 and Rs400,000 to build their kiosks and that the smaller kiosks were 10x10 feet while the larger ones were 20x20 feet.

Another kiosk owner, however, lamented that the forest department was still forcing them out despite contradictory directives from the chief minister.

“It is quite astonishing that when the CM gave approval and designs were approved by K-P Highway and GDA, why is the forest department   bent upon snatching  from us our hard earned assets,” said Javed Taj. He added that none of the kiosks encroached on  forest land as these were built on GDA land with the authority’s approval.

The kiosk owners demanded that Khattak and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan should intervene in the matter and that if the notices are not withdrawn, they would block the Murree road in protest.

When approached, District Forest Officer Sardar Salim Khan,  confirmed that his office had served the notices, adding that the kiosk owners were encroaching on land reserved for forests.

Asked about the permission granted by the K-P chief minister, Khan contended that  there  was no written proof of any such permission which may have been granted.

The official added that the land was property of the Forest department but the GDA was collecting monthly rent without any legal authority. He also referred to a ruling of Peshawar High Court regarding encroachment that clearly put responsibility on the DFO Gallies.

“When there is clear-cut ruling of high court about encroachment and the occupants have no legal order from any authority, how can I allow them to occupy state  land,” he concluded.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, October 19^th, 2016.