PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa local government minister Faisal Amin Khan on Monday ordered inquiry against Peshawar Development Authority (PDA) officials for manhandling pushcart vendors and destroying their merchandise in Hayatabad.

In a video widely shared on social media, the civic agency officials were shown manhandling pushcart vendors and destroying their merchandise in the Khattak Market area of the city’s upscale neighbourhood last Friday. A large number of social media users condemned the civic agency staff for manhandling the pushcart vendors, some of whom were children.

In a post on his twitter handle, Mr Amin said he had ordered inquiry into the incident and action would be taken against those responsible.

On the other hand, a PDA official told Dawn that two officials were involved in the act, who had been identified as members of the authority’s vigilance staff.

The official said the head of the vigilance section had reprimanded the staff and written to the director administration to take disciplinary action against them. The PDA official said the civic agency staff had been directed to avoid being harsh to vendors during anti-encroachment operations.

Published in Dawn, February 15th, 2022