KARACHI, Sept 24: Former city nazim Niamatullah Khan has condemned the operation against residents of Ziaul Haq Colony in Gulshan-i-Iqbal, and said evacuation of people was in violation of rules and regulations, and already laid down criteria, which amounted to depriving people of shelter.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the former city nazim condemned the use of force and firing on residents of a katchi abadi by police, saying it had fuelled violence and the rage of people.

“During my tenure as city nazim, affectees of the Lyari Expressway were provided compensation and plots in a transparent manner and not a single untoward incident took place,” he said.

He added that the said operation was carried out in connivance with the land mafia, which had resulted in violence.

Mr Niamat said that before bulldozing a residential structure, people are given notices some 15 days before, but in the case of Ziaul Haq Colony, neither was any notice served nor was any compensation given.

He asked the city government’s Administrator and DCO Karachi, Fazalur Rehman, to ensure the provision of plots and compensation to residents of the said colony in a transparent manner.

He said area people had told him that the land mafia in collaboration with the city government was trying to deprive them of their precious land.

The former nazim further demanded probe into Friday’s incident and harsh punishment to those responsible for the violence.

Meanwhile, the MPAs of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA), Nasrullah Shajji, Hamidullah Advocate and Younus Barai alleged on Saturday that the police and administration were compelling recently elected councillors to change loyalties.

In a statement, they demanded the Election Commission of Pakistan to immediately issue ID cards to elected representatives and take action against those asking them to change loyalties.

They further demanded the government to provide protection to the elected representatives as they were being threatened to support an “ethnic terrorist” group.

Meanwhile, expressing his concern over the Ziaul Haq Colony incident, Caretaker and DCO Karachi, Fazalur Rehman, on Saturday observed that the said incident was mere “violence” and it had no connection with Lyari Expressway (LEW) affectees.

In a statement, Mr Fazal lamented hindrance in razing structures for giving right of way at the Ziaul Haq Colony, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, in connection with construction of the LEW and attack on a city government demolition team on Friday.

—PPI