Anti-encroachment committees delayed

RAWALPINDI: The formation of anti-encroachment committees at the district level has been postponed, allegedly at the behest of some influential people of the district.

Names for the 10-member committees of Rawalpindi district had been dispatched to the Punjab government six months ago. But Lahore has yet to notify these bodies. As a result, the bodies have been in limbo.

Due to absence of the anti-encroachment committees in the district, a crackdown against encroachment in the city has apparently become ineffective.

Markets in the inner city areas including Bara Market, Raja Bazar, Jamia Masjid Road, Iqbal Road, Fawwara Chowk, Kashmiri Bazaar, Bohar Bazaar etc have once again started to choke as encroachments resurface unchecked. Owing to this, pedestrians and traffic face extreme difficulties in moving through these areas.