RAWALPINDI; The Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) has lodged a strong protest against what it calls “unjustified” anti-encroachment and anti-dengue operations, as well as the unauthorized removal of signboards and banners within its territorial limits by Punjab government departments without prior coordination.
In a letter addressed to the Deputy Commissioner Rawalpindi on August 4, 2025, the RCB said that officials from the Punjab Enforcement and Regulatory Authority (PERA) and the Rawalpindi Health Department had conducted operations in areas falling under the cantonment’s jurisdiction “without any justification or prior coordination.” The board termed these actions irrational and warned that they were likely to create distrust between institutions.
The RCB clarified that it is a statutory civic body empowered under the Cantonments Act 1924 to carry out municipal functions, including removing encroachments, taking anti-dengue measures, and taking down unauthorized signboards and banners. It said that the provincial authority’s direct interventions within cantonment limits were “invalid” and detrimental to the interests of the cantonment administration.
The letter stressed that all anti-dengue measures, encroachment drives, or signboard removals in the cantonment area fall strictly under the RCB’s purview and any violation would be considered “null and void.”
The cantonment authorities have urged provincial officials to exercise restraint, avoid unilateral actions, and coordinate with the RCB before conducting any such operations. The letter also called for an “early and pragmatic” resolution of the matter.
Copies of the letter have been sent to senior officials, including the Station Headquarters, CPO, CTO, and Assistant Commissioner (Cantonment) Rawalpindi.
