Rawalpindi - Chairperson Defence of Human Rights (DHR) Amina Masood Janjua on Friday arrived at the hunger camp set up by vendors whose model counters were seized by Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) during the anti encroachment drive.
She expressed solidarity with the victims and demanded the Station Commander Rawalpindi and Cantonment Executive Officer (CEO) to allocate some suitable place to the vendors for establishing their stalls. She also condemned the act of the enforcement department of RCB for removing the model counters despite the possession of valid licenses by the owners. Amina Masood Janjua said nobody has right to snatch the bread butter from the families of poor vendors. She expressed her deep concerns over the injustice of RCB.
The chairperson DHR was also briefed by President Peoples Union of Vendors/Hand-push carts owners Gulzar Shah, General Secretary Sardar Munsaf, Secretary Information Abdul Rehman, Sheikh Zafar and Sardar Salim about the damages and suffering they have been facing after removal of their model counters from Bank Road and Railway Station Road.
They told the chairperson that scores of vendors had staged a protest demonstration outside Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) against the removal of their model counters/ stalls during the anti-encroachment drive and for their failure in allocating a new place to them and had also set up hunger camp.
They said they had met the CEO and had also brought the matter into the notice of Station Commander to address their situation and designate a new location for them so they could earn livelihood for their families but no action was taken.
The protestors demanded the Director General (DG) of Military and Cantonments Lands and Station Commander Rawalpindi to look into the matter and provide them with justice. On the other hand, workers and leaders of different political parties have visited the hunger camp and have asked the CEO to solve their problems.