KARACHI:Mayor Karachi Waseem Akhtar on Friday said the Supreme Court has cancelled all permissions, leases and rent agreements made by Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) or any other government organization made past for business use of parks, drains or footpaths.
‘’No commercial activities could be carried out on such places now. Anti-encroachment campaign has not been initiated by the KMC only but the Government of Sindh, Cantonment Board and other government organizations are also part of it, as the apex court had made all of them bound to complete this work in fifteen days,’’ the mayor said, adding only the court orders are being implemented and we don’t want to render anyone jobless.
He expressed these views while talking to a delegation of representatives from different market associations led by chairman All Karachi Tajir Ittehad, Ateeq Mir, and delegation of Tariq Road Traders Association led by Muhammad Asad that called on him in his office.
The traders assured the mayor full cooperation in current drive against encroachments. However, they requested that they may be provided with alternate places for business so they could be saved from financial problems.
Atiq Mir said that we knew the operation was not based on political or linguistic line but on purely administrative grounds. He said it is a good omen for the megacity.
Mayor said all such shopkeepers who were given space on rent and who were paying their rent to KMC will be provided suitable places for business in the KMC markets.