Business community stresses MCR to launch anti-encroachment drive.

RAWALPINDI -- President Traders Association Moti Bazar Chaudary Muhammad Iqbal on Thursday demanded the Municipal Corporation Rawalpindi (MCR) to launch a massive operation against encroachments, creating hurdles in the smooth flow of traffic and adding the cost of doing business.

Talking to reporter, Iqbal said he had asked the Chief Officer MCR Rafaqat Hayat Gondal during a meeting to immediately remove the encroachments and illegal parking of motorcycles around the Moti Bazar area on priority. He said that traders of the city markets were facing immense problems owing to encroachments and the non-availability of parking places in the markets.

"It is need of the hour to construct parking plazas for city markets at the earliest, and strict action must be taken against the encroachers," he demanded.

Iqbal urged the Metropolitan Corporation and traffic police to play their due role in removing the encroachment from the city's busiest roads and demanded the government devise a plan to shift wholesale markets from the city to the proposed ring road to ease traffic congestion.

He stressed that the business community was...