Locals protest favouritism in anti-encroachment campaign

People complain that officials are clearing encroachments from middle of market, leaving those at the beginning

ABBOTTABAD: As the Abbottabad Cantonment Board continues its anti-encroachment drive, residents have accused it of favouritism and nepotism.

They claim that the drive is focused on just a particular area of the cantonment.

Bilal Shah, a victim of the drive, demanded that senior officials of the board take action against its secretary. He said officials cleared encroachment from middle of the market but left those at the beginning of the market.

After a protest by landowners, the squad of cantt board left the drive incomplete and escaped from the spot. The affectees while talking to media said they are not against the anti-encroachment drive but want it to be indiscriminate.

“The anti-encroachment squad did not even touch the encroachment of adjacent shops,” he cried.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 13^th, 2019.