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KMC razes 800 illegally-built shops during third week of anti-encroachment drive in Karachi
The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) officials on Monday said as many as 800 shops in the famous city markets were demolished during the third week of the ongoing anti-encroachment drive in the metropolis — being carried out on the directives of the Supreme Court.
“Nearly 350 illegally-built shops in Aram Bagh furniture market and 450 shops near the Light House area were razed by the anti-encroachment staff with the help of heavy machinery,” said a KMC official.
The local authority termed it the "second major action" after the anti-encroachment drive around the historical Empress Market, where over 1,400 shops were demolished last week.
Editorial: Anti-encroachment drive
According to the KMC spokesperson, the demolition was monitored by Metropolitan Commissioner Dr Syed Saifur Rehman, who asserted that the illegal structures were being removed on the directives of the apex court and that "no one will be allowed to acquire even an inch of space illegally."
Sharing details of the operations, Dr Rehman said a total of 175 shops were registered with the Estate Department of KMC in the Aram Bagh market and 297 were registered in Lunda Bazaar, however, these shops were later divided and made 450 and 350 shops, respectively, by the shopkeepers on their own.
All Karachi Tajir Ittehad Chairman Atiq Mir told Dawn that as many as 450 shops were demolished in both the areas, rendering around 2,000 families jobless.
Mir pointed out that the shopkeepers and vendors, whose shops were demolished, have been doing businesses here for the past 38 years and that they regularly paid rent to the KMC.
The business leader suggested that those shopkeepers who have been paying rent to the KMC should be provided alternative places for doing their business.
Separately, shopkeepers affected by the anti-encroachment drive held a protest rally outside the Karachi Press Club, requesting the chief justice to take notice of the allegedly ruthless drive and provide them alternative places for conducting business.
Comments (50) Closed
Yet see or hear of tearing the structure of any rich and powerful people.
Illegal construction should be demolish because it’s not recommended as per law
Remove such encroachments to restore the beauty of the city.
@ali,
Yes. These structures were allowed by the "powerful" people who gave essentially now been neutered.
Any other questions?
@ali, "Yet see or hear of tearing the structure of any rich and powerful people." This is what is being done indirectly. These people pay the rich and powerful people who allow them for these encroachments. They will not pay them anymore, so the structure of these rich and powerful is being torn apart. You don't or hear about it directly, but all those protesting are doing it on their behalf.
@ali, The days are coming.
Bravo! Great job by PMIK.
No encroachment must remain.
Illegal constructions remain illegal whatever u say or do about it.
Secondly, It must also be investigated that why and How KMC was getting rent on illegal shop as same may not be going onto treasury rather into someones pockets
Secondly I am still thinking to get answer that why our media is not manipulating this right act as they usually do in most of cases?????
There is nothing to discuss the encroachments were illegal and so they were demolished. End of story.
Also, tear down the wall that Nawaz has built around his mansion using government's money or make him pay for it and use that money to relocate these poor people.
It is not Government’s job to provide alternative places. First they unlawfully occupy and encroach, then they shamelessly protest against lawful actions. Where is their moral compass and conscience?
I feel sorry for those who were paying the rent to government and political mafia and they definitely deserve alternative places for their livelihood. At the same time what is illegal is illegal and the SC has done it according to law to which we all stand by it. Majority are doing legal businesses in legal places, why don’t people follow them? There are no short cut.
CJP, please do get a survey conducted against SBCA and pull down all violating structures in Karachi. Establish the writ of state please
Anyone paying rent to the government should have been given alternate space.
These are poor people whose rozi has been demolished by KMC. Will sindh CM now give new jobs to them or provide them with roti kapra and dokan?
So 800 poor family lost everything. They have been doing business there since more than 30 years and eve paying rents to KMC. How can then you say it was illegal? Then there is Banigala residence which was regularized. Why govt. did not demolish that?
@ali, These shopkeepers would pay bribes to police officers and others in charge. This movement is taking on the corrupt and serves as a deterrent to others contemplating corruption, taking or giving bribes.
Over the years municipalities collected rent and tax from these people. To be fair government should return that rent. Also establish new business areas market areas and give it to those impacted. In poor society you don’t want to take away livelihood of people. Having said that those responsible for allowing the take over of land must be punished.
Wondered when is Bilawal House’s turn??
Cleaning up Pakistan , it was pending for a long time ,maybe our neighbors will learn from this , and they will also clean up their cities , like Bombay Calcutta and Dhaka.
Doesn't go far enough. Each of these encroachers should be charged with unpaid rent, costs of returning property to original condition, pay licence/permit fee for previous years and taxes assessed based on estimated income for previous years, plus penalties for each year of operation. KMC & Income tax dept would have to closely coordinate on the latter part; with KMC acting as limited proxy (subject to tight controls, accountability & review) for the program.
@Chinpaksaddique, Done on the orders of the SC, not IK. IK has only shown his willingness to compromise when he is confronted by the rich and powerful.
Great job done by local government including law enforcement agencies and Sindh government.
@ali, khurram sher Zaman PTI mpa restaurant KBC
These buildings were not built over night. Who allowed these buildings in the first place? There should be some action against those as well.
Also, what about demolishing illegal walls erected across the city, especially in Clifton, Sharah-e-Faisal and other areas?
When will they raze Bilawal House?
Ever heard of how Bahria town and DHA gets land and builds housing societies? Even if these werent legal, these were poor people. What is the alternative by the government?
Land mafia or influential people have accommodated these people to establish these little business and in return were receiving monthly payments. Now this encroachment action more or less rich will lose their monthly fixed income. But people running those business will also be impacted as they have no place to go and earn their livelihoods.
Why were they allowed to encroach in the first place? Living in a social welfare society now, this makes me so heartbroken.
@Chinpaksaddique, Why bravo PMIK ? What Imran khan has to do with this anti encroachment drive ? This drive was started by KMC on the order of Chief justice Pakistan. Imran khan, himself living on an illegal property named "banigala'.
When are you tearing down Bilawal House and it's illegal occupations?
Just a senseless operation. Destroying livelihood of poor people.
@Ranjha, really? So bilawal house encroachment and BBQ tonight encroachment (just to mention a couple) have been demonstrated? Needless to say, both of these properties were probably retroactively made legal by some scheme.
2,000 people who were hurting the city are jobless. They can hawk their merchandise in another location.
@ali, , Why should they be allowed to block entire streets?
Illegal is illegal.
Against law is against law.
There is no this or that.
Till before four decades Karachi was a beautiful and clean city compared with West-European cities.
The federal and provincial politics brought darkness to Karachi.
Hopefully, Karachi would become clean and bright city as in the past.
yes, from around the sharifs home in lahore. tearing down illegal buildings us a part of the responsibility of the government. it is a dirty job that needs to get done. stop portraying it as a class issue just yet.
@bhaRAT©, also for fire safety
Well done KMC.
All Karachi Tajir Itehad, Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry, and people of Karachi must unite and confront the illegal action taken by KMC-Sindh Govt.
What about the encroachment by elites have those been taken care of or it just the poor masses who are the sole target it looks to me that way
Is Bilawalal house encroachment removed yet? I guess No!!!
Where was this law for last 38 years now 2000 families are suffering. Pls provide them a suitable place as soon as possible.
What the next step, after the demolish?
So proud of your PTI.
@I am karachi, "So proud of your PTI." PTI was against the operation. Did you see any of them supporting the operation? Did you even see the governor? The only PTI member that we saw were supporting the encroachments.
@BAXAR, I am getting my city back, the city where I grew up all those beautiful buildings need to be restored...excellent move... wrong is wrong...
Well think if someone build on your plot what you would do? Sameway this is our country and if anyone has taken country property that means its our property.
We have to standup to the big thugs lby voting them out.
All those families suffering they knew it’s wrong. We have to put break at some point. Hope they will destroy all enrochements and not only few.
Thanks