KARACHI: The municipal administration of the city on Monday warned that criminal cases would be registered against the shopkeepers involved in re-establishing encroachments.

Informed sources in the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation told Dawn that perpetrators would be booked and arrested under relevant sections of Pakistan Penal Code and Sindh Public Property (Removal of Encroachment) Act.

Meanwhile, they said, action against encroachments in different areas of the city continued as the KMC’s anti-encroachment staff removed the extended floors and other encroachments in front of shops in Khori Garden area of district South.

They said that the shopkeepers were also warned not to establish encroachments again, or FIRs would be lodged against the perpetrators.

The officials said that hotels and shops built on footpaths around Munawwar Chowrangi, Gulistan-i-Jauhar were also removed. They said that the encroachers had built a hotel and eight shops there.

The officials said that action would be completed in the vicinity after removal of encroachments around the Continental Bakery.

Besides, the officials said that as many as 12 shops and 25 floors made illegally near Munawwar Hospital, Block H of North Nazimabad, were demolished by the anti-encroachment staff.

Published in Dawn, December 18th, 2018