Anti-encroachment: NHA, municipal face-off over drive

MARDAN:

Mardan municipal officials faced-off against National Highway Authority and Mardan District Administration officials as the latter undertook an encroachment drive in the district.

NHA and MDA officials were removing signboards from Nowshera-Mardan Road on Tuesday. The initiative was headed by Mardan AC Khan Muhammad Khan.

The signage included promotional boards of PPP Senator Khanzada Khan and ANP K-P chief Amir Haider Hoti and other politicians of the district. When Chief Municipal Officer Farmanullah heard about the operation, he reached to the site along with other municipal committee personnel and declared the operation illegal.

When asked,DC Shahidullah Khan said the encroachment drive was legal as they had issued a public notice before the drive. The anti-encroachment initiative continued despite the municipal committee’s reservations.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 1^st, 2015.