By: SYED SHAHABUDDIN
The district administration and the revenue department have expanded their grand anti-encroachment operation, after the tragic Swat river incident, continuing it with full force on the second consecutive day.
On Monday, action was also taken against the riverside hotel owned by the Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan and senior PML-N leader, Engineer Amir Muqam. The hotel’s main boundary wall, built along the riverbank, was demolished. However, after the hotel administration presented a No Objection Certificate (NOC), the remaining structure was spared for now. Notably, the operation near Amir Muqam’s hotel was halted for nearly three hours before resuming.
According to district officials, more than 40 sites have so far been cleared of illegal constructions and commercial encroachments.
The operation at Mingora Bypass has been completed, while in Fizagat and other areas, restaurants, hotels, and various buildings have been razed to the ground using heavy machinery.
The operation includes participation from local police, Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMA), revenue officials, and members of the district administration.
Officials stated that the operation will continue until all encroachments along the Swat River and other vulnerable areas are completely removed.
On the other hand, affected business owners and locals have accused the administration of injustice, claiming they were previously granted permission to build and operate on the very sites now being demolished without prior notice.
“If these constructions were illegal, why were we allowed to build in the first place? Why did the government collect taxes from us for years?” asked one protestor Bhai Jan.
They further alleged that the authorities are using hotel owners as scapegoats to cover up their own failure in preventing the recent tragedy.
Meanwhile, no such operation has yet begun in upper Swat areas such as Kalam, Bahrain, and Madyan.
On the other hand, Rescue activities continued for the fourth consecutive day following the Swat River tragedy and the spokesperson, Rescue 1122 said that a search operation is still underway at various locations along the Swat River to locate 14-year-old Abdullah from Sialkot.
More than 30 rescue personnel and divers are actively participating in the mission, added that, so far, the bodies of 12 individuals who drowned in the tragic incident have been recovered and the rescue efforts will continue until the last missing person is found,” he said.
