LAHORE (PR): The Pakistan Economy Watch (PEW) on Tuesday said nationwide anti-encroachment has added to the credibility of the government.

The operation has broken the back of the qabza mafia as dozens of commercial buildings, filling stations, shops, marquees, restaurants, and other unauthorized structures have been demolished, it said. The situation in many cities has improved, influential, big fish and encroachers have been demoralised, while government property worth tens of billions of rupees has been retrieved, said Chairman Brig (r) Muhammad Aslam Khan.

He said that government needs to intensify the operation and prefer clearing Islamabad of all the encroachments to make it a model city. Commercial buildings have been built on the plots reserved for cinemas, swimming pools and clinics in the CDA’s master despite the fact that CDA bylaws disallow any commercial activity on plots kept for cinemas, swimming pools, and clinics, he added.

Muhammad Aslam Khan said that the government should bring to book the elements who usurped the right of entertainment of the people by greasing the palms of concerned officials. At the occasion, Dr Murtaza Mughal said that some people also purchased cheap plots in the industrial area and illegally converted them into plazas, educational institutions, hostels, offices, shops, showrooms, godowns and wedding halls.

Dozens of plazas were constructed in Golra which were shown as constructed in Sector E-11 to deprive masses of their hard earned income worth billions while no action was taken against them.