DERA ISMAIL KHAN: The Peshawar High Court’s Dera Ismail Khan Circuit Bench on Friday directed the district administration to ban motorcycle rickshaws and close down illegal housing colonies and filling stations.

Justice Shakeel Ahmad and Justice Khurshid Ahmad Khan issued the directions in a short order on the petition of lawyer Ahmad Ali Khan.

The detailed order in the case will be issued afterwards.

Deputy commissioner Mansoor Arshad and district police officer Abdul Rauf Kaisrani attended the hearing on the court’s orders.

Directs admin to close down illegal housing colonies, filling stations

In the short order, the bench declared that the people had the constitutional right to live their lives peacefully.

It directed the DC and district police officer to ensure its orders “promptly and without any delay recognising they’re public issues.”

In the petition, Mr Khan said there were 5,000 registered rickshaws in Dera Ismail Khan district, while those without registration totalled around 32,000.

He insisted that motorcycle rickshaws disrupted traffic and they’re involved in around 70 per cent of road accidents.

The petitioner said most rickshaws were illegally driven by people under the age of 18, who didn’t know much about traffic laws.

He added that owners of those three-wheelers reportedly paid their organisations as well as the police a total of Rs3-Rs3.5 million.

Mr Khan said motorcycle rickshaws caused traffic jams.

He also complained about illegal housing colonies around Dera Ismail Khan city saying these projects are looting people and are a “hotbed” of crimes.

The petitioner insisted that those housing colonies didn’t have proper roads, electric

supply and sewage system, and their layout plans were approved through “unauthorised means.”

He also complained that several filling pumps functioned in Dera Ismail Khan without obtaining the mandatory no objection certificate from authorities and illegally sold Iranian oil damaging car engines.

DISPOSED OF: The police disposed of a large quantity of seized explosives on the bank of the Indus River here on Friday.

A local court had ordered the disposal of explosives seized by the counter-terrorism department in different operations.

Head of the bomb disposal unit Inayatullah carried out the activity in the presence of judges, according to a spokesman for police.

The seized items weighing 38kg included two suicide jackets, eight RPGs, 12 hand grenades, 22 electric detonators, three switches, and 70 feet long prima cord.

Published in Dawn, December 9th, 2023