KARACHI, Feb 22: In a major demolition operation at MQM Haqiqi headquarters in Landhi, the Karachi Building Control Authority and the anti-encroachment cell of Karachi City District Government, on Saturday, razed a portion of the Baitul Hamza, retrieving a service road, a ladies park, and some open space.
The demolition teams uprooted the main entrance to the Haqiqi headquarters, bulldozed its boundary walls, and also sealed the main building.
Earlier, the main gate of the Baitul Hamza was sealed on court orders two months back.
Nearly 200-300 policemen, besides the personnel of rangers, were deployed in and around the Baitul Hamza to maintain law and order and to handle any ugly situation.
While the action was going on, the police and rangers vehicles continued to guard the spotted area.
The LEAs were present since early morning, and the deployment continued till late at night, residents said.
The officials of the KBCA’s anti-demolition squad and the CDGK’s anti-encroachment cell claimed that they retrieved a 40-feet wide service road, a portion of which had been included in the Baitul Hamza by the partymen by raising a boundary wall around it.
The road which leads to the surrounding residential area has now been reopened to general public, a KBCA spokesman said, adding the action had been taken under the Sindh Building Control Ordinance, 1979, and after additional the district and sessions judge, East, ordered the de-sealing of Baitul Hamza.
Apart from the compound wall, two rooms which were built inside were also demolished, an official of the KBCA said, adding a portion of the ST-8/1 plot which was meant for a park for women, namely Allama Iqbal Park, had also been retrieved, and park has again be re-opened for women.
DIG Operations of the city police Tariq Jamil told Dawn that the KBCA asked the police to provide them security while removing encroachments at Baitul Hamza.
“We, along with the rangers, were present at the site of the demolition of the outer walls of the Baitul Hamza by the KBCA officials.”
He said there was no law and order situation and no untoward incident took place at the time of the demolition or afterwards.
“The KBCA did not face any resistance while removing the encroachment.” Mr Jamil said, adding “we have made no arrests.”
The KBCA sources said the Haqiqi men had constructed their headquarters on an amenity plot (ST-8/1), situated in Landhi Sector 37-D after illegally amalgamating seven plots (R-1 to R-7) and without getting its plan approved from the KBCA.
“In fact, the entire building housing Baitul Hamza was built in violation of the Sindh Building Control Ordinance, 1979,” the KBCA officials added.
As soon as the KBCA and CDGK officials came to know that the additional district and sessions judge, East, had ordered de- sealing of the MQM Haqiqi’s headquarters, around 50 officials belonging to the KBCA’s demolition squad and the city district government’s anti-encroachment cell rushed to the site of Baitul Hamza, with heavy machinery, such as loaders and dumpers and completed the entire operation within four hours between 2pm and 6pm, the KBCA sources said.
The entire operation, which was supervised by the KBCA’s chief controller of buildings, Brig (Retd) A. S. Nasir, went smoothly and no untoward incident took place, the KBCA sources said.
DE-SEALING ORDERED: While granting a review application filed by MQM Haqiqi MNA Mehmood Qureshi, the additional district and sessions judge, East, Syed Sagher Zaidi, ordered the de-sealing of Baitul Hamza on Saturday.
The Baitul Hamza was sealed two months ago on the orders of the judicial magistrate, East, Ms Zabiha Khattak. The authorities had sought the sealing of the Baitul Hamza due to security reasons.
The Haqiqi MNA moved the Sindh High Court against the order of the JM through a petition. The SHC ordered the petitioner to move an application before the magistrate concerned.
Later, the Haqiqi leader moved a revision application before the ADJ after the JM reserved her order on the application, filed following the order of the SHC.
On Saturday, additional advocate-general of Sindh, Suleman Habibullah, appeared before Judge Zaidi and submitted that the government would have no-objection if the court ordered the de- sealing of the Baitul Hamza to meet the ends of justice.