No injustice to be done during anti-encroachment drive: PM

E-Paper | May 01, 2026

KARACHI: Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that no injustice would be done with anyone in the name of operation against encroachments.

The federal government wanted to provide homes to the homeless and if injustice had been done to anyone during the anti-encroachment drive, it would stand by the victims, he said during his visit to Karachi on Sunday.

During the daylong visit, the prime minister met business leaders as well as key politicians, including Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah.

Sindh Governor Imran Ismail briefed Mr Khan on the law and order situation and the possible fallout of the ongoing operation against encroachments.

On a query from the prime minister, the chief minister told him [PM] that “the provinces can work with the federal government as long as each recognises its constitutional jurisdiction”. He said the federation needed to fulfil its commitment on the K-IV and KCR projects.

Mr Khan said that during his party’s last tenure in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa the federal government used to launch projects of electricity and gas in that province.

The chief minister told him that the federal government was more than welcome to do launch projects in Sindh as these items fell in the federal domain and asked him to spend more on electricity and gas projects in the province.

After the conclusion of Mr Khan’s visit, Governor Ismail told newsmen that injustice had been done with the poor under the cover of the Supreme Court’s order against encroachments and “we will request the chief justice to stop this operation”.

Mr Ismail said there was no tension between Sindh and the federation. The chief minister was heard attentively.

He said ongoing projects in Sindh were part of the NFC Award. “We have decided to summon a meeting in Islamabad for considering the K-IV water project.”

In reply to a question, he said the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf or the federal government had no link with the operation against encroachments.

Published in Dawn, December 10th, 2018

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N_Saq

Dec 10, 2018 08:34am

In my opinion, before any kind of encroachment operation the authorities should make a list of businesses and houses and who is the owner of the affectees, so that after the operation those people can be properly compensated. I am all for the implementation of laws but with so much poverty in the country, one has to be careful and not destroy the livelihood and living spaces of the poor. Govt should help relocate the affected and provide adequate compensation for extended period i.e. 1 year to accommodate lost wages and earnings to the affected people.

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Mian shah hussain

Dec 10, 2018 08:45am

Being poor should not be a licence to encroach state land.

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Kamal

Dec 10, 2018 08:59am

Another U-turn!

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Prateik

Dec 10, 2018 09:13am

@Mian shah hussain, if the state is unable to provide the basic needs to a poor, where are they supposed to go?

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PakistanZindabad

Dec 10, 2018 09:19am

Have you provided alternate income options to people who lost income? Are you also taking any action against big shots who made money supporting encroachment

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Anis Motiwala

Dec 10, 2018 09:39am

Damage to livelihood and age old traditions of roadside hawkers has been done. Too late the hero!

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Dr Ibrahim

Dec 10, 2018 09:41am

Better late then never! Being poor is not a crime. Yes! Indeed the encroachments need to be removed, but then the destitute need to be rehabilitated in a timely, and organized, manner. All humanity have a right to earn a living, and have some semblance of a shelter,they can call a home.

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Nisha

Dec 10, 2018 09:41am

wise strategy, especially since IK own house doen't fullfill all legal requirements.

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Justicefirst

Dec 10, 2018 10:00am

Karachi has no water,Karachites are paying daily in billions of Rupees to tanker mafia and the Federal and provincial governments are still considering to summon a meeting in Islamabad after 100 days in power.

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asdas asdas

Dec 10, 2018 10:25am

Why not start with Bani Gala,

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SHAHID SATTAR

Dec 10, 2018 10:29am

What about injustices already done? In the name of the supreme court's orders they have broken homes of many which were legally built by the residents after getting all documents. Who is there to compensate them? They have damaged even houses built during the British Rule in Karachi. Of course, we can't protest against Bahria Town and other such projects which have not only acquired lands illegally but are also robbing the city of its water supplies and diverted the same towards their projects. They have created third party interests and no one dare take action against them for fear of the hue and cry from these so called sufferers with powerful lobbies backing them.

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Dec 10, 2018 10:33am

That is when the Judiciary encroaches upon the executive , causing a mess up. This issue could have been handled in a much better way than done now, it has been politicized and unfortunately sufferers were the common people. These shops and markets were there for the past 60 years, and Government could have waited for next 6 months to settle the issue in an amicable way, but was not done. LONG LIVE PAKISTAN...............

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Justicefirst

Dec 10, 2018 10:34am

All encroachments whether before partition must be removed by force.Government to provide substitute place in orderly manner.In this way we can make them a lawful citizen.

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syed Zulfiqar

Dec 10, 2018 10:42am

Why the justice always hit the masses most? Can't it be planned? Yes they are nasty encroaches, either the poor who occupied railway land and the powerful who barter MDA land. The decision maker must consider the interest of masses. It is the failure of successive governments and all institutions who wake up when they feel tremors and take emergency and haphazard decisions.

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Pervez

Dec 10, 2018 11:29am

Let’s make sure that people’s livelihoods are not destroyed.

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Right

Dec 10, 2018 12:16pm

Most of the comments here seem to be from people who are not residents of karachi. Come and see each and every town in karachi has been turned into gethos by these so called poor people. Each and every footpath and free space has been occupied. This operation must be continued and no illegal structures in footpaths need to be legalised.

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Ahmed

Dec 10, 2018 12:20pm

No injustice? What else do you call razing the homes of people, most of whom have a hard time making ends meet, or demolishing a shop along with its wares.

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Jameel

Dec 10, 2018 12:29pm

@Prateik, when you are poor than you are allowed to take someone else's property?

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BAXAR

Dec 10, 2018 12:38pm

@Mian shah hussain, "Being poor should not be a licence to encroach state land." Those who encroach state land, cannot be qualified as poor by any standard. They paid huge sums to officials and continue paying on daily basis. This "anti-anti-encroachment" campaign is to protect those who have pocketed these bribes and are unable to answer to those who were paying, not the poor. You can calculate the money involved, by the fact that the PM had to displace himself especially for this purpose, who otherwise never mentions Karachi since he was made PM. There is a lot of anxiety in the PTI ranks because of this operation. If he was concerned about the poor, he could have announced some relief to the real poor who did not pay anyone to encroach state land. He seems to be concerned only for those who paid.

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BAXAR

Dec 10, 2018 12:44pm

@N_Saq, "I am all for the implementation of laws but with so much poverty in the country, one has to be careful and not destroy the livelihood and living spaces of the poor. " I am also poor, do I have the right to install my business on Constitution avenue? If not, I should also be given compensation. Why only some poor would be given compensation, not all? Just because they managed to occupy some land earlier? You are advocating for the rights of the mightiest, not the poor.

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raj

Dec 10, 2018 12:57pm

He didn't meet the MQM mayor or its leaders how can he have a full picture of Karachi

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Danish

Dec 10, 2018 01:02pm

Firstly majority of people who occupied land living illegally for years now gov supporting this illegal occupancy for sake of vote . If IK feel so much care give them alternative land and money but don't stand for illegal occupancy and for land mafia.

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Qamar

Dec 10, 2018 01:59pm

@Mian shah hussain, being politician or bureaucrat (civil, judiciary and the armed forces) means not to encroach all the wealth of the nation.

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Manzar

Dec 10, 2018 02:06pm

In the name of poor, poor people have been breaking rules and regulations. This is the time to tell everyone must abide by laws and no one is above law. The encroachment drive should continue without any influence from top businessmen to street hawkers.

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Jamal

Dec 10, 2018 02:10pm

Some people may have legal documents given unfair means by unscrupulous officers in the institutions, but this does not mean they are legal. This is one time agony for the peace of upcoming generations. Government may provide alternative houses and shops to such residents.

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Khan

Dec 10, 2018 02:17pm

MQM and PPP both are busy accommodating their workers and breaking the legal system.

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Dec 10, 2018 02:31pm

Wakey-Wakey Sorry its been happening for months. Thousands of old people, women and children have already been thrown on the road. Those who made money from these illegal plots disappeared decades ago. Would be nice to know if any influential persons house or property has been touched. The answer is a big no. Long live Pak land.

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Jahanzaib

Dec 10, 2018 03:03pm

Poverty is not a defence as a human being we should care of it

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ALI ASAD NAWAZ MALIK

Dec 10, 2018 03:40pm

@asdas asdas, why not from Jati Umra and Model Town?

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Shah

Dec 10, 2018 04:21pm

Enchrochment is done through illegal documents. Even tax is paid. Dont give cover to illegal activities. Govt. Must give alternative place to affected people.

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Shah

Dec 10, 2018 04:29pm

@N_Saq, compensate illegal occupation of land???

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Dec 10, 2018 09:19pm

@N_Saq, When they said everyone has been issued notices that means they have complete list of all affectees.

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Dec 10, 2018 09:21pm

@raj, Waseem akhtar was present

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ali sabir

Dec 11, 2018 04:49am

Criticism is poison to Imran Khan.

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Dec 11, 2018 09:58am

Which on going projects are being funded by PTI govt. in Sindh?

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