RAWALPINDI:President Traders Association Moti Bazar Chaudary Muhammad Iqbal has demanded the Municipal Corporation Rawalpindi (MCR) to launch a massive operation against encroachments to ensure smooth flow of traffic and business activities in the commercial hub of the city.
Talking to reporter, Iqbal said he had asked the Chief Officer MCR Rafaqat Hayat Gondal during a meeting to immediately remove the encroachments and illegal parking of motorcycles around the Moti Bazar area on priority.
He said that traders of the city markets were facing immense problems owing to encroachments and the non-availability of parking places. “It is need of the hour to construct parking plazas in city markets at the earliest, and strict action must be taken against the encroachers,” he demanded.
Iqbal urged the metropolitan corporation and traffic police to play their due role in removing the encroachment from the city’s busiest roads and demanded the government to devise a plan to shift wholesale markets from the city to the proposed ring road to ease traffic congestion.
He stressed that the business community was a significant contributor to the national economy, and the government must facilitate them to improve national progress.
The Moti Bazar President informed that the MCR officer had assured the trader’s delegation that the business community’s demands would be brought into action.
Meanwhile, when contacted Municipal officer Regulation, Imran Ahmed said that MCR had started an integrated operation in the city against encroachers. He said that he, along with Assistant Commissioner City Dr Zaneera, carried out a massive anti-encroachment drive in the area of Pirwadahi and confiscated goods and removed encroachments from the footpaths.
He warned the encroachers to vacate the state land at the earliest, else strict action would be taken against them, including arrest and imposing heavy fines.