HARIPUR, Oct 18: Pushcart owners of Haripur here on Saturday took to the streets and blocked the G.T. Road against burning of their carts by the Tehsil Municipal Administration.

They burnt tyres in the middle of the road near the main chowk and suspended traffic on the Haripur-Abbottabad, Haripur-Rawalpindi and Khanpur-Taxila roads for about 45 minutes. However, on the intervention of DSP headquarters Qazi Asifya the protesters lifted the blockade.

Official sources at the TMA told that the TMA staff had confiscated about 40 unlicensed pushcarts and set them on fire on the instruction of the Assistant Coordination Officer Haripur, Muzaffar Sayal, which aroused resentment among the pushcart owners most of them reportedly Afghan refugees.

When approached the Assistant Coordination Officer Haripur, Muzaffar Sayal, confirmed the report of burning of pushcarts adding that there were about 15 to 20 pushcarts that were set on fire because they were warned several times, but when the owners were found reluctant to move out of the bar’s limit, they were punished.

He said that under the Municipal Laws the entry of unlicensed pushcarts was totally banned in the city limits and the administration took action in accordance with those laws. The ACO said that since these pushcart owners were the biggest source of temporary encroachments in the bazaars, the DCO Haripur had also banned them by enforcing Section 144 during Ramazan.

Mr Sayal further said that it was decided in a meeting attended by nazims of three urban union councils, representatives of All Traders Federation and Haripur Chamber of Commerce and Industry that no unlicensed pushcart would be allowed in the main bazaar.

He said that the decision taken at the meeting was also circulated in the city.

PILGRIMS VACCINATED: The health authorities have vaccinated at least 380 intending pilgrims from district Haripur here on Saturday.

These pilgrims, according to the Executive District Officer (Health), Dr Mohammad Idrees, were vaccinated against meningitis.

He said that Ministry of Haj had supplied them the vaccine for 600 pilgrims, but only 380 could make it to the training-cum-medical session.

The EDO also briefed the intending pilgrims about personal hygiene and stressed on the need of observing health and hygiene rules.

Earlier, the ACO Haripur, Muzaffar Sayal, also spoke to the intending pilgrims and asked them to pray for the solidarity of the country.

The training staff also imparted necessary training to the pilgrims about Haj related matters.