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'Grand operation' to be launched next week to clear encroachments on Karachi Circular Railway
The Pakistan Railways (PR) will begin a "grand operation" from Monday for the removal of encroachments along both tracks of the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR), officials said.
The decision was taken after Justice Gulzar Ahmed of the Supreme Court ordered authorities to immediately removed encroachments from railway lines and revive the KCR.
Justice Ahmed, who was chairing a meeting at the apex court’s Karachi registry, said time should no longer be wasted in the revival of the KCR, which was abandoned around two decades ago.
Examined: Encroach if rich
Railways officials told DawnNewsTV they have already started the implementation of SC's orders and that they "will ensure the end of all encroachments".
Justice Ahmed, who is the acting Chief Justice of Pakistan in the absence of Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, had last week directed the city's deputy commissioners to remove encroachments to clear the route of the KCR as well as the land in their respective areas after the divisional superintendent of PR said that most of its land was encroached upon.
The KCR was commissioned in 1964, originally to help employees of the Pakistan Railways travel between their jobs — at and around the City and Cantonment railway stations — and their residences in Karachi’s eastern neighbourhoods. The service became a full circle of 44km in 1970 and connected Karachi’s four main work areas: the port, the Sindh Industrial Trading Estate (SITE), the city’s central commercial areas such as Saddar and the Landhi Industrial Area.
The KCR remained the public transport of choice for the people of Karachi till 1984 when the number of its trains was reduced. Reasons for the move included lack of maintenance and repair, a yawning gap between rising expenditure due to higher fuel and operational costs and decreasing revenue due to subsidised tickets and the government’s inability to spend money on the improvement of tracks and stations.
According to the Karachi Mass Transit Cell, the number of level crossings — points where a railway line crosses a road or any other thoroughfare — also increased in the city, causing KCR trains to take longer to complete their journey. At one stage, there were 34 level crossings on the KCR route.
The KCR finally shut down in 1999, forcing thousands of its daily users to travel by buses.
'No hindrance will be tolerated'
Justice Gulzar Ahmed during the meeting directed the city's municipal authorities to continue the operation against encroachments without any break.
"Karachi should be restored to the state it was in 30 years ago," the top judge said. He also ordered that the parks and lakes in the metropolis be restored to their original shape by removing illegal constructions.
"No hindrance will be tolerated in the campaign to end encroachments," Justice Ahmed said.
The judge also chided Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) officials, saying they had acted as "facilitators" in the occupation of public places.
"Karachi would not have been in this condition [today] had you fulfilled your responsibility," he told them.
An official of the Karachi Development Authority (KDA) submitted a report to the Supreme Court regarding the operation that is currently underway against encroachments.
The director general of KDA said they had retrieved more than 5,500 plots that had been encroached upon.
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Comments (54) Closed
Good news indeed!
MQM, this is how you can take care of your city. And this was your job which you failed miserably for the last 30 years or you have in fact made it worse.
Great. Finally we are seeing some results.
Best decisions by PMIK. Great news.
Good
What about the track which has been encroached upon by BRTS in Nazimabad at Board office. The Genius planners of BRTS tore down the over head crossing. Will they build overhead bridge or it is going to be half Circle Railway?
Right step for development.
Amazing hope it goes through completely.
Good move. They should be fined for Dam fund
Same problem on both side of borders
Will the same operation cleanup be done in areas like Katti Pahari, Pak Colony, Sheereen Jinnah Colony, Pehelwan Goth, Memon Goth, Sorabh Goth, Kimari etc.? Or will it be on the lines similar to the across the board operation going on in Urban Sindh for the last few years.
We live in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Karachi where most of the plots allotted for public parks have been encroached by the mullah mafia and there are now three storied mosques built upon them. Would the CJP also take a decision against the numerous mosques in Karachi that are built on illegally captured lands for parks?
It's about time to clear all illegal occupations of land, properties, structures, houses, offices and buildings in the "Land of the Pure" and bring to justice all culprits, gangsters, illegal occupiers, crooks and mafia group people involved, with immediate effect.
Thank you Sir.
Good move and good thinking
Excellent. All encroachments by land grabbing mafia and criminals must be removed which had not only become an eyesore, but had become hiding places for criminals and gangs. Let's make the historic city of Quaid beautiful again.
Bravo.
MQM & PPP failed the city for the last 30 years. It going to take a long time to fix their negligence.
Good move! please expedite the matter and throw them out. Enough of exploitation in the guise of poor!
What about LEA and Religious encroachments? Have you heard of Metro Habib Lines Area case? These influential will never be touched.
Excellent move. it was high time someone took concrete action. No illegal land encroachment should be tolerated, and wherever it exists, it must be destroyed.
My fellow karachittes who could not afford a house of their own living in kattchhi abadis are more important than KCR!!! If bani gala can be regularised then why not Karachi’s latching abadis!!!! Remember someone claiming human development is more important than rails and roads
@Rafiq, yes, very good point. If encroachments have to be eliminated, this should be done indiscriminately without regard to color, creed and religious preference. Lands, occupied illegally by mosques or temples or churches, that were earmarked for parks or other social benefit, must be repossessed and the illegal occupants of these premises must be evicted without delay.
MQM and its looters and its extortionists have caused such a big mess. Now the game is over. Karachi is going to be a clean and developed city soon. No illegal constructions anymore. KCR is utmost need of Karachi as millions of people used to travel trains in the past. Thanks to Supreme Court for such outstanding orders.
What a slap om MQM.... Indeed MQM failed to govern Karachi. New leadership needed who lived in Pakistan and care there peoples.
We have to make decisions and implement it and keep our direction correct for the best of the people of Pakistan
@Sab Se Pehle Pakistan,
Your wish that everything gone wrong for 70 over years should happen all at once, doesn't work like that!
@Sab Se Pehle Pakistan,
Mr. Sab Se Pehle Pakistan,
Correct.
And you are right.
All illegally captured areas and lands must be demolished.
There is no question of religion, race, colour and language.
Enough is enough.
@Rafiq,
Mr. Rafiq,
You have valid point and a good suggestion.
@Sajjad,
Mr. Sajjad,
Unfortunately, more responsibility goes to PPP which is most corrupt party and ruling Sindh for decades.
Great news. Judiciary of Pakistan Zindabad.
have they made any accommodations for the people that will be displaced?
I hope that in the demolition process KMC or any other authority will not demolish any residential apartments block, individual house or office space which were leased and registered with the sub-registrars.
The demolition process will only go along with the railway track which were encroached illegally by the occupants and not those properties which were purchased by fulfilling the process of the provincial government of Sindh.
Why only circular railway is only revived in Karachi why such plans are not taking place in the other major cities where the population is also growing manifolds with the passage of time.
PTI got 12 National Assembly seats from Karachi but won't get votes from those people who voted for PTI in July 2018 general elections.
Railways is one of the most oppressed state enterprises wich has been looted by its employees, gov functionaries and the politicians. Lets hope that the current campaign gives it the breathing space it needs badly.
Better late than never.
Will the bus Mafia let this train operate
@Chinpaksaddique, decision by court not PMIK
Hope and pray for the best for our Lively city a home to millions of job seekers. May this plan see completion to its end and solve the woes of commuters.Inshallah
IK government strong on corruption and now on being strong on land law breakers.
I wish to again play cricket in Hazoori Bagh in north nazimabad. This 5 acre park has been turned into ‘shuhada colony’ by MQM. Will the CJP please end its encroachment.
Why not provide housing for these people j
@A, let’s all look forward now as one “unit” and start using the train services as our main choice of travel. This will have a majorly impact on the country!!
Who will clear the encroachments along the narrow arteries of the old Abbottabad town?
The PTI government is enjoying a second consecutive term in office, and both the national and provincial assembly seats of the urban Abbottabad have been won by the ruling PTI candidates.
However, the situation as regards encroachments has only worsened during the past five odd years!
Will DAWN ever bother to take up such stories relating to small towns like Abbottabad? After all, we are also citizens of Pakistan, just like the inhabitants of Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, and Peshawar!
Police is also involved as they collect bribes from these people.
@Reality check, __ Those who cannot afford a house of their own living in kattchhi abadis are not more important than the KCR if they are depriving a million other people of swift transportation to and from work. The roadways already can't handle added vehicle traffic.
People’s choice to vote pti now support their plan if operation Pakistan clean up. Pakistan and it’s cities like Karachi will be a major commercial hub and tourist attraction. But the slums must go and the poor re housed.
@Rafiq, yes
@Sajjad, agree. shortly, failed parties will shamelessly play the poor people card.
Golden words from the judge: “Karachi should be restored to the state it was in 30 years ago.” If you do the, the whole of Pakistan will reap the benefits. Enough is enough of using and abusing this lovely city and turning it into a ruin.
Awesome. We don't need any new laws in Pak. Just implement what is already on the books and we will become a great country.
@A, Don’t blame a political party. It was the responsibility of SBCA and the police department to check the enthronement and crime. Both department s report to provincial govt.
World wide Railways is the most preferred mode of commuting because it is cost-effective .
What about encroachment and illegal occupation of private plots by Afghanis in Quetta Town on Super Highway in Scheme 33 under government policy that allowed Afghanistan refugees to occupy any land in Karachi. Owners of plots are denied rightful ownership for the last forty years. Supreme Court is requested to take notice of this.
I used to travel on PCR from lyari station to drigh road station in early 70’s. The fare used used to be 25 paisas.
Hats off to Supreme Court of Pakistan's efforts to restore Karachi Circular Railway (KCR ) which is utmost need of Karachi as millions of people travel to their job places. The fare should be as low as possible for students and senior citizens .(Texas)