KARACHI, March 27: The officials of the city government’s education department and the police on Saturday got a room and a boundary wall demolished that was raised by land grabbers in Sindhi-Mochi Para, Shanti Nagar, UC 7, Gulshan-i-Iqbal. The land was meant for expansion at a school.

The 200 sq-yd-plot lying between an abandoned primary school of the defunct district council Karachi and Government Boys Primary Masjid School was encroached and sold by a local councillor to a person residing adjacent to the schools, who then annexed it to his house.

The area residents complained to the UC nazim and other authorities about the encroachment; however, no action was taken.

On March 21 this year, the headmaster of the masjid school made a written complaint to the district officer education (male), nazim Gulshan-i-Iqbal Town and the police.

The headmaster had stated that certain elements had constructed a boundary wall and a room at the open space meant for the school’s expansion and currently used for the school assembly.

On Saturday afternoon, officers of the city government’s education department and the police got the boundary wall and room demolished in their presence.

Residents said that elected representatives of the UC were still exerting pressure on the education department officials and town administration to give at least a strip of the government land to the buyer.

It may be mentioned here that a gang of professional land grabbers is active since long, occupying and selling vacant government lands in Shanti Nagar.

A new encroachment can be seen over three acres of land near Nehru Gate, adjacent to the Kalachi Cooperative Housing Society located at the land of the dismantled Dalmia Cement Factory.

Area residents say that the land grabbers enjoy the full support of leaders of a political party, local councillors, revenue officials and the police.

Encroachment on the land near Nehru Gate began about two months back with the construction of a boundary wall, and holding of a public meeting of a political party inside it. Soon after, the land grabbers started selling plots at rates ranging from Rs50,000 to Rs100,000.

According to sources at the Aziz Bhatti police station, police officials had received a phone call from a member of the national assembly not to interfere into the matter.

Some social leaders of the area said when they pointed out the encroachment to some high police officials, it turned out that they were already well aware of the illegal occupation. — PPI