FOLLOWING the ongoing security operation in Karachi, the government and law-enforcement agencies have taken many steps which have directly hit the common and mostly poor people.

Security conditions by and large remain dismal, with no let-up in targeted killings, street crimes and now even emergence of mass murders.

Some of such actions by authorities include the sudden closure of large numbers of weekly bazaars in specific areas; the removal of temporary vending stalls in Joria Bazaar and makeshift food stalls mostly on pushcarts in downtown areas of Merewether Tower, Bolton Market and Motondas; and the closure of the only used book bazaar in Gulshan-i-Iqbal.

All these actions have presumably been taken on the grounds that certain elements were earning through extortions in these markets. These bazaars provided cheaper goods to people and were a source of income for thousands of vendors and daily wage earners.

However, all these actions cause angst among citizens when they see the historic Empress Market and Saddar Dawakhana spot and famous Jahangir Park permanently encroached upon by certain groups. There are no signs of impending action against these encroachers.

Then the demolition of marriage halls, again in specific areas, has rendered jobless a large number of daily wage earners, while both sides of sprawling green-belts on University Road between Karachi University and Safoora Chowrangi are being systematically encroached upon by some groups by converting makeshift eateries and auto service centres into concrete and permanent structures.

At the same time action against illegal hydrants without ending water scarcity has resulted in unaffordable high prices of water.

Raihan A. K. Lodhi

Karachi

Published in Dawn, May 25th, 2015

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