KARACHI:In compliance with the Supreme Court order seeking removal of encroachments in the metropolis, the authorities on Thursday demolished 300 illegal structures, mainly shops, located on government land and drains in Korangi.
The anti-encroachment operation, backed by KDA, city government and law enforcement agencies, continued on the second consecutive day during which illegal shops and other construction were removed. The people of various constructions protested against the authorities. They said that the government had turned merciless as it was depriving people of livelihood instead of giving jobs promised during recent elections.
The officials said that the anti-encroachment operation in Korangi would continue with full might despite residents made them mercy appeals. The hapless people asked the officials to halt the operation for sake of their livelihood but there was no response.
Meanwhile, anti-encroachment teams also removed encroachments on Hawks Bay road. Moreover, several encroachments, including bill boards, were removed in Gulshan-i-Iqbal area of the metropolis.
On 27 October 2018, the Supreme Court had ordered Mayor Karachi and other municipal agencies to remove all illegal encroachments on footpaths, drains and amenity plots after which a major historical operation has been launched in the city.
On August 2018, Sindh Chief Secretary in a meeting vowed to remove encroachments from all parks, marketing centers and roads of the megapolis. The Chief Secretary directed the relevant authorities to ensure that government offices and political party offices constructed in public parks were removed. He ordered that illegal bill boards, marriage halls and encroachments from the roads and footpaths of the commercial areas and markets should also be removed without further delay. He said that the Empress Market, Taj Medical Centre, Auto Market on M.A. Jinnah Road (Bander Road) should also be cleared from encroachments.