SC orders removal of illegal shops in PECHS

The Supreme Court of Pakistan directed the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) to remove encroachments built on land meant for a drain in the Pakistan Employees Cooperative Housing Society (PECHS).

The apex court’s two-member bench headed by Justice Gulzar Ahmed ordered the KMC’s master plan director to submit the actual master plan of the housing society. The court was hearing a petition filed by the KMC seeking the removal of shops illegally built on the drain.

The KMC had approached the court against the alleged illegal construction from the drain passing through Block 6 of PECHS. The KMC’s master plan director submitted that as many as 89 shops had been illegally built over the drain’s land and were sold out in violation of building rules and regulations. 

He said the unauthorised constructions were causing hurdles in cleaning of the drain, which could expose the residents to difficulties. The court took exception over encroachment and construction of shops on the drain and directed the KMC to remove encroachments and submit a master plan of the PECHS area at the next hearing.

A day earlier, the Supreme Court took notice of non-implementation of its directives with regards to removal of illegal shops in a multi-storey commercial plaza in Phase V of Defence Housing Authority, Karachi, and directed the Karachi commissioner to supervise the removal process and submit a compliance report.