MANSEHRA, November 8: The district administration on Friday launched a major anti-encroachment drive in the Shinkiari area, targeting structures and commercial buildings illegally constructed on land owned by the forest department. Over a dozen buildings and temporary stalls along the Karakoram Highway were demolished as part of the operation, which aimed to reclaim government land and ensure the smooth flow of traffic.
Baffa-Pakhal Assistant Commissioner Nayab Abbasi, speaking to reporters, stated, “We have launched the operation to reclaim government land where shops and other commercial buildings had been illegally constructed.” Personnel from the apolice, tehsil municipal administration, and forest department participated in the drive, employing heavy machinery to remove structures that had persisted despite repeated notices to encroachers. Temporary stalls and handcarts were shifted to Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMA) godowns.
“We have launched the operation to reclaim government land where shops and other commercial buildings had been illegally constructed,” Baffa-Pakhal assistant commissioner Nayab Abbasi told reporters.https://t.co/d5P0b6IQOe
— Dawn.com (@dawn_com) November 8, 2025
Local residents noted that some of the structures had been demolished previously but were rebuilt by encroachers, challenging government authority. Ms Abbasi urged traders to cooperate with the administration rather than obstruct the ongoing operation. She added, “We will expand this operation to other parts of the tehsil and remove all illegal structures raised on government land or within the right-of-way along the Karakoram Highway and other arteries.”
In a related development, the Helping Hand for Relief and Development (HHRD) organization celebrated the 20th anniversary of its operations to assist persons with disabilities (PWDs). Since the aftermath of the 2005 earthquake, HHRD has provided prosthetic limbs to over 62,000 individuals affected by natural disasters and accidents across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
HHRD Director Waseem Saleem highlighted that the organization also offers financial support, education, and healthcare services to more than 10,400 orphans nationwide, including 3,700 in KP and 200 in Mansehra. Dr Pirzada Khattak, head of the HHRD rehabilitation center, noted that of over 80,000 individuals who lost limbs in the earthquake, 48,000 have received artificial limbs from the center, with cumulative follow-up visits exceeding 400,000.
These initiatives reflect ongoing efforts in Mansehra to enforce government authority over public land while simultaneously addressing the long-term rehabilitation needs of persons with disabilities in the region.
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HHRD Director Waseem Saleem said the organization had provided prosthetics to over 62,000 PWDs free of cost since its inception after the 2005 earthquake. The organization also supports over 10,400 orphans nationwide, including 3,700 in KP and 200 in Mansehra. Dr. Pirzada Khattak, head of HHRD’s rehabilitation centre, noted that the centre had served over 48,000 earthquake survivors and recorded more than 400,000 follow-up visits.
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