KARACHI, July 15: A local non-government organization claimed that alleged land-grabbers have occupied a portion of a building, which houses two schools in Lyari Town.

A press release issued by the Shah Baig Lane Welfare Alliance said a group of land-grabbers had broken a part of the boundary wall of the building, in which the Government Boys Secondary School No 1 and 3 were located, and built a door on the west side of the premises, in a bid to occupy a part of that land.

The schools are situated on the Shah Latif Bhittai Road in the jurisdiction of the Shah Baig Lane Union Council. The press release also claimed that the said NGO had informed the city government's education department, besides other officials concerned about the situation, but it did not receive any favourable response.

In this regard, the NGO also criticized the role of a local body representative. The NGO claimed that sometime back, in the Baghdadi Union Council area, land-grabbers had occupied a vacant plot near the Ghazi Qayum Hospital on Fidh Husain Sheika Road, despite the fact that a legal case was pending in a law court pertaining to that matter.

The residents of Baghdadi also blamed a local councillor of the area for illegal possession of another piece of land in the area. The plot had now been converted into shops and was being used for vending business.

Despite repeated protests by the area people, the officials concerned lend a deaf ear to the public grievances in this regard. The residents of Baghdadi have repeatedly invited attention of the officials and department concerned toward the growing trend of illegally occupying public property by "influential persons" of the locality.

In the 80s, a local body representative had first acquired a part of old Baghdadi Union Committee office on D D Chaudhry Road on the pretext of carrying out some welfare activity. However, later, the project was converted into a commercial venture. Despite public hue and cry, no action was taken and the said property was illegally leased out to the "occupant."