The anti-encroachment department of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) on Thursday removed illegal constructions and seized cabins, stalls and furniture items from footpaths in its action against encroachments in District South, District West and District East.
According to a press statement issued by the corporation, the anti-encroachment drive was carried out on the directives of the Supreme Court. The department removed many cabins, patharas, food stalls, furniture, animal cages and other stuff with the help of heavy machinery in all the three districts, and demolished concrete walls, grills, sun sheds and other illegal constructions on pavements and alongside roads. Meanwhile, two encroachers were arrested for resisting the anti-encroachments operation in District East.
The operation was carried out under the supervision of KMC Anti-Encroachments Senior Director Bashir Siddiqui and the anti-encroachments director, deputy director and police also took part in the operation.
In District South, the anti-encroachments staff took action around the City Court, Saddar Parking Plaza and Empress Market. In District West, the operation was carried out near the Mauripur truck stand and in District East, the anti-encroachments officials removed encroachments at Tariq Road.
Earlier in the month of November, the corporation carried out operation in Akhtar Colony, Kashmir Colony, Link Road and Nadra office in District East where all illegal shops, eateries and concrete walls were demolished and many pushcarts, cabins and furniture items were seized by the deaprtment. In District Central, action against encroachments was taken in New Karachi Sector 11-G and 5-F where stalls, pushcarts and cabins were removed from footpaths and roads.
Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar had directed the anti-encroachment officials to carry out action against all encroachments in the city. He also ordered to make sure that such encroachments did not emerge again once they were removed.
The mayor gave clear instructions to the anti-encroachment officials to continue operations in all the six districts of the city on a daily basis. No one was allowed to carry out business activities on main roads or service roads as they were meant to be used by vehicular traffic, he said.