KARACHI, July 19: At least 12 shops and a mosque are being built on government land near Malir Halt Railway Station without proper permission from the owners of the land. The authorities concerned — the Pakistan Railways and the town administration — were silent as the construction was going on with impunity, residents told Dawn. The unauthorized construction of mosque and shops at the railway station has virtually blocked public passage to Rafah-i-Aam and Al-Falah societies.

The residents of Al-Falah Society said that the railway authorities were reluctant to take action against the unauthorized expansion of the mosque and the group utilizing the land was aspiring to build shops by breaking the railway station wall, and carrying out further expansion.

Already some cabins have been placed on Sharea Faisal beside the railway station wall, creating congestion at the spot.

Furthermore, at least 12 shops are being built on government land near Malir Halt railway station on Rafah-i-Aam side.

The plot had been lying unutilized for the past many years because work on a service lane could not be initiated along the railway line in the absence of proper demarcation of railway land.

It was also being used as an access to the railway station while pedestrians coming from Rafah-i-Aam Society use this portion to reach Sharea Faisal.

The land-grabbers have only left two small passages while on the rest of the land, shops have been built.

Area people said the land mafia occupied this piece of land and before the town concerned could initiate any plan on this land, the contractors started constructing shops. They said as the railway authorities started building a wall to save their land from the encroachers; the vested interest came into action and started building shops.

The land has proved a boon for the mafia which would later sell it to the people at premium prices.