Mardan citizens welcome anti-encroachment drive in markets

MARDAN  –  Citizens have welcomed the de­cision by Commissioner Mardan Division Syed Muhammad Ali Shah to launch an anti-encroach­ment operation in various mar­kets across the division.

They urged the authorities to sustain the drive and ensure that it is carried out effective­ly, impartially and permanently to address the difficulties faced by pedestrians and facilitate the smooth movement of the public.

According to residents, the problem of encroachments in Mardan’s markets has reached a critical level. Many shopkeepers display merchandise on footpaths and roads in front of their shops, severely restricting the space available for pedestrians. This sit­uation creates significant diffi­culties for everyone, particularly women, children and the elderly, as they navigate the markets.

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Citizens alleged that some shopkeepers even rent out por­tions of the roads in front of their shops to street vendors. Conse­quently, pushcarts occupy public thoroughfares, making it difficult for pedestrians to pass. These encroachments not only cause inconvenience to the public but also disrupt the smooth flow of traffic in the markets.

A local resident, Muhammad Hussain, said the district ad­ministration and the Tehsil Mu­nicipal Administration (TMA), acting on the commissioner’s di­rectives, had launched anti-en­croachment operations in some markets, a move that had been widely welcomed by the public.

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However, he claimed that items confiscated during these oper­ations were often returned fol­lowing interventions by certain social media activists, self-pro­claimed journalists and of­fice-bearers of traders’ asso­ciations. He said this practice undermined the effectiveness of the campaign.

He argued that returning con­fiscated goods under external pressure or on the recommen­dation of influential individuals failed to deter those responsi­ble for encroachments. He em­phasized that the law must be applied uniformly to eliminate the problem effectively, ensuring that no one received preferential treatment because of their influ­ence or connections.

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Saeed Khan observed that, given the current situation, in which the imposition of Gov­ernor’s Rule means there is no elected political government in the province, the district admin­istration should face less politi­cal pressure when carrying out anti-encroachment operations. He recalled that, under previous elected governments, officials had often cited political pressure as an obstacle to taking action against encroachments.

He said the administration should seize this opportunity to focus on resolving the prob­lems faced by citizens. Saeed Khan pointed out that encroach­ments were not confined to a sin­gle market or locality, as people faced similar difficulties in com­mercial areas across the city.

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He stressed that, instead of conducting sporadic and tem­porary operations in isolated lo­cations, the authorities should launch a phased, city-wide cam­paign, accompanied by effective monitoring to prevent encroach­ments from re-emerging after enforcement actions.

Citizens have also called for a clear and transparent policy gov­erning the return of confiscated items to ensure that official en­forcement measures are not un­dermined by personal connec­tions, recommendations or the influence of specific individuals. They urged the administration to continue monitoring markets after the operation and take ac­tion in accordance with the law against those who again place goods on footpaths and roads.

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