KARACHI: The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation said on Friday that the auction of a plot at Old Sabzi Mandi had been cancelled and the resolution adopted by the City Council was deferred.

A spokesman for the city’s municipal administration said that after the auction, many people approached the director land and officials concerned and maintained that they could not take part in the auction due to Covid-19 as they were in isolation at the time of auction and requested the KMC to cancel it so that they could take part in the second auction.

“The director land apprised high officials of the matter and the KMC has decided to cancel the auction in the larger interest of the people of Karachi,” the spokesman said and added that the security deposit amount had also been refunded as no amount was deposited in the KMC’s account.

“The plot 2B 2700 is still the KMC’s property and no one claims it,” he said, adding that the plot was a commercial one and designated for a petrol pump and that’s why many parties were interested in the auction.

He said that after improvement in Covid-19 situation, the KMC would issue advertisement in leading newspapers for the auction so that each party could have equal right to get the land.

“Some people are spreading false and fabricated information about the plot but in fact the auction was cancelled on July 24. The KMC reserves legal right to take action against such people who are trying to defame the national institution,” he added.

Published in Dawn, August 1st, 2020