KARACHI: The staffers of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation demolished two wedding halls constructed illegally on amenity plots reserved for a park and other amenity purposes on Saturday.

A KMC statement said that the names of illegally constructed wedding halls were NED Marriage Lawn in Azizabad and Bagh-i-Saman in Gulberg in Samanabad.

The statement added that the KMC had compiled a complete list of illegally constructed wedding halls and all of these would be razed to the ground one by one so that amenity land could be recovered and used for the purposes it was originally meant for.

Sharjeel’s warning

Sindh Information and Local Government Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon on Saturday warned that encroachments on government land, amenity plots, playgrounds and parks would not be tolerated and action would be taken against criminals involved in encroachment and land grabbing activities.

Speaking to journalists after demolition of the wedding halls built on a playground and an amenity plot in Federal B Area, the minister said that the government had decided to take action and demolish all buildings on encroached pieces of land and take legal action against those responsible for such activities.

“The green and clean Sindh campaign launched in Feb 2015 will continue till the last encroachment in the province and all illegal shopping centres and marriage halls are demolished,” he said.

“The Supreme Court has already ordered removal of all encroachments from government land and amenity plots and the government would implement the apex court order. Those who have encroached on government lands would face criminal cases.”

Earlier, the minister along with the KMC administrator and other district officers supervised the demolition of the marriage halls.

Meanwhile, the anti-encroachment department staffers of the KMC in the presence of Rangers carried out an anti-encroachment operation on Nishtar Road and adjoining areas on Saturday and removed hundreds of pushcarts, roadside cabins, shops, counters, stalls, etc.

The encroachments were creating hurdles in the smooth flow of vehicular traffic as well as hindrance to shoppers coming to the area markets and shops.

Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play