KARACHI, March 10: The anti-encroachment operation launched at Liaquat Market continued for a second day on Thursday, and a total of 400 shops and stalls were removed using heavy machinery.

These encroachments had been set up in front of the Liaquat Market and the Liaquat Road, from Jinnah Square to Malir Token bus stop, several years ago, reducing the width of the two-way carriageway from 50 feet to 12 feet. A roundabout was also encroached upon to make room for 200 shops. The town administration is, however, yet to remove encroachments from the roundabout.

Shops were also built on the land in front of Liaquat Market Maternity Home and on the land along three government schools when MQM Haqiqi held sway over the area. These encroachments had created a mess and are yet to be removed.

In the drive’s first phase, the Malir Town initially cleared roads and footpaths, and plans further action in the days to come.

Once all the encroachments are removed, there are plans to fix grills along footpaths. The area will be beautified so that visitors face no problems.

Over 300 shops, patharas, makeshift stalls established at the Liaquat Market and along the road from Jinnah Square to Tanki, were removed on Tuesday when the operation was launched.

The KESC staff also accompanied the town staff during the operation because the corporation had allegedly granted permanent electricity connections despite the fact that the encroachers were occupying government property.

Malir Town Nazim Ansar Ahmed said that the roundabout would be cleared of illegal shops in the second phase. The market was set up by political activists after bulldozing an office of KDA’s revenue department where shops were built and sold to people promising them allotment.

The area people have thanked Federal Minister Shamim Siddiqui, MPA Hamiduz Zafar and the town nazim for removing encroachments and expressed hope that soon other places, including Begum Khursheed Road, would be cleared too.

The width of the road in front of the Liaquat Market along Casino Cinema, after the removal of encroachments, has increased from 30 to 50 feet.

According to a previous plan, the road in front of the Casino Cinema had to be connected to Sharea Faisal via the double road in front of Ghousia Market. Area people said that access was still available, and with minor alteration, the target for reaching Sharea Faisal through a straight road could be achieved.

During his visit to the market, the nazim ordered shifting of electric poles and PMTs from the middle of the road and said that the debris should be removed immediately.

Soon after the operation was launched, the Liaquat Market’s shopkeepers pulled down shutters to avoid further action. A number of shopkeepers gathered outside the market. They were, however, informed that action was being taken in their own interest and that there were public complaints, as the width of the road had reduced considerably and it had been causing problems for people. It had also been resulting in traffic jams, as no UTS bus could pass through the road.