SWAT: The anti-encroachment drive launched following the devastating Swat flood incident that killed over a dozen tourists, has sparked outrage among hotel, restaurant, and shop owners, with all major political parties calling for immediate halt to the punitive operation.
Businesses were left devastated after the district administration demolished their buildings, declaring them as encroachments along the Swat River.
The operation, initially aimed at clearing illegal structures, swiftly dismantled properties belonging to numerous small business owners, leaving them grappling with substantial financial losses.
One affected restaurant owner, Sardar Ali, said, “We have worked hard for years to establish our businesses here. The demolition came as a shock. We didn’t even get any notice before losing everything we built.”
Swat business owners, Dir MPC demand immediate end to operations
Another shopkeeper, Faizan Khan, echoed similar sentiments, stating, “They just tore down our shops without any warning. How are we supposed to feed our families now?”
However, the campaign was unexpectedly halted when the anti-encroachment machinery reached a hotel owned by federal minister Eng Amir Muqam, situated along the Swat River in the Fizagat area.
Despite the ongoing demolitions in surrounding areas, the authorities ceased all further demolition activities around Muqam’s property without offering any clear explanation for the change in direction.
This sudden pause has raised suspicions of favouritism towards influential figures.
Local business owners, along with civil society members, have expressed frustration at what they describe as a double standard in the enforcement of the anti-encroachment laws.
“It’s clear those with power are protected while the rest of us are left to suffer. The government’s actions are unfair and biased,” said Shahid Hussain, another restaurant owner.
In light of the situation, the business owners have threatened protests if the government doesn’t halt the operation. They demanded compensation for the losses they incurred due to the destruction of their properties.
“We won’t remain silent. The government needs to take responsibility for the havoc it has caused. If it doesn’t compensate us, we will protest until our voices are heard,” said Amjad Ali, a shopkeeper, whose store was demolished.
Similarly, political and social activists in Lower Dir have expressed deep concern over the ongoing anti-encroachment drive, warning that the demolition and sealing of hotels and restaurants under the pretext of illegal constructions is damaging the local economy and discouraging tourism.
The issue was the focus of a multiparty conference organised by Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl in Timergara on Saturday, chaired by former MPA and ANP district president Haji Bahadur Khan.
Representatives from major political parties, including Jamaat-i-Islami, PTI, ANP, JUI-F, PPP, PML-N, and the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, attended the moot.
JUI-F district chief Sirajuddin, former provincial minister Muzaffar Syed Advocate, Timergara tehsil chairman Mufti Irfanuddin, PTI MPA Malik Shafiullah Khan, ANP district president Haji Bahadur Khan, Malik Mohammad Rasheed Khan, Jamaat’s KP North information secretary Eng Yaqoobur Rehman, PPP Lower Dir general secretary Naeemullah Khan, PML-N general secretary Javed Akhtar Advocate, Timergara traders’ union president Haji Anwaruddin, former chamber of commerce president Mian Noor Alam Bacha, PkMAP president Sartaj Khan, civil society activist Akbar Khan, and PPP’s Nawabzada Irfan, were among those in attendance.
The participants condemned the administration for launching demolitions without prior notices, saying the crackdown was targeting properties built with the hard-earned money of overseas Pakistanis.
They called for an immediate halt to the demolition campaign and reopening of all sealed hotels and restaurants. They demanded that the district administration first properly demarcate the riverbed area, as officials themselves were unclear about the river’s actual boundaries.
In a joint declaration, the MPC announced that two separate delegations would approach higher authorities to voice their concerns.
One, led by PTI MPA Malik Shafiullah Khan, will meet Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and the chief secretary. The other, headed by PML-N general secretary Javed Akhtar Advocate, will seek a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. If the demands are not met, speakers warned, political and public resistance will intensify.
Meanwhile, JI’s KP North chief and former provincial minister Inayatullah Khan, speaking separately to the media on Saturday, criticised the government, calling the operation an “attack on the livelihoods of the poor.” He warned of mass protests if the sealed businesses were not reopened.
He said the administration’s actions — taken in the aftermath of the Swat tragedy — have left daily-wage workers jobless and pushed poor families toward starvation. “Destroying poor people’s businesses in the name of anti-encroachment drive is economic murder,” he said, accusing the provincial government of deflecting blame for its own failures.
Critics also blamed the district administration for environmental damage, claiming the auctioning of minerals from the Panjkora riverbed — worth Rs70 million — had already devastated the river’s natural flow. They questioned why construction was previously allowed if it was illegal, and demanded accountability of former officials who approved it.
Meanwhile, a large-scale anti-encroachment operation launched along the banks of the River Indus in Dera Ismail Khan has also sparked public outcry.
Among the critics is JUI-F’s district general secretary Chaudhry Mohammad Ashfaq Advocate, who strongly condemned the demolition near Mehmood Eye Hospital along the riverbank. He described the operation as “a gross violation of law and humanity,” likening it to an invasion rather than a legal enforcement measure.
Ashfaq alleged that private and legally owned properties were demolished in the presence of the deputy commissioner, assistant commissioner and police officials with utter disregard for due process. “Livelihoods were crushed, homes were razed, and the scene resembled a natural disaster,” he said.
He further criticised the administration for using the Swat incident as a pretext to unleash fury on innocent citizens. “Instead of reforming the system, PTI’s 12-year rule has brought devastation upon the people,” he added.
Ashfaq also questioned the decision of the chief secretary to issue circulars that in his view, left poor riverside residents abandoned. “If there truly was a flood threat, the legal method would have been to issue timely alerts and allow a grace period for evacuation,” he said, lamenting that even multi-million rupee properties were bulldozed without notice or compassion.
“This cruelty and unconstitutional action rests squarely on the shoulders of the provincial leadership. JUI-F not only condemns this operation but also reserves the right to pursue legal action,” he declared.
The operation, spearheaded by tehsil municipal administration, is targeting unlawfully built shops, huts and other encroachments within the river’s natural pathway. According to TMA officials, this action aims to restore the river’s original flow and reduce the risk of future floods.
The authorities clarified that the operation is being conducted in phases and will not be influenced by political or personal pressure.
Officials said prior notices were served on all affected individuals and alternate spaces have been arranged for them in some cases.
However, the operation has sparked significant unrest among locals, many of whom staged protests and chanted slogans against Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur.
Published in Dawn, July 6th, 2025