70 shops razed in anti-encroachment drive on Burnes Road

The anti-encroachment drive in the old city area of Karachi has reached Burnes Road as 70 illegal shops constructed on footpaths were demolished on the second day of the operation on Sunday.

Many encroachers also removed their structures from footpaths themselves before anti-encroachment teams would take action. Metropolitan Commissioner of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) Dr. Syed Saifur Rehman and Senior Director Coordination Masood Alam visited Burnes Road and monitored the operation.

The ongoing action against encroachments, initiated on the orders of the Supreme Court, will be continued till the removal of all the illegal constructions and structures on footpaths, roads, streets, parks and drains, Dr Rehman said, adding that Burnes Road offered sight of many historical buildings; however, encroachments had distorted the view of the road.

The metropolitan commissioner said after Burnes Road, the anti-encroachment operation would be extended to Khori Garden, Lea Market, Joria Bazar, Kharadar, Mithadar and Garden. He explained that the drive had been planned in three phases, of which the removal of encroachments was the first phase while the second phase comprised removal of debris and waste.

The repairs of footpaths and roads was the third phase of the drive. According to Dr Rehman, debris was being lifted at Lighthouse and other places where encroachments had earlier been removed. After all the rubble has been lifted, footpaths and roads will be cleaned and coloured, he said.

Dr Rehman appealed to the people to understand that encroaching upon public property was unlawful. He asked the citizens to remove encroachments from roads, footpaths and parks.

Commenting on the operation on Burnes Road, Senior Director Anti-Encroachment Bashir Siddiqi said owners of around 60 illegal structures on the road had earlier been issued notices that warned them of the operation; however, they ignored the warning and kept operating from their illegal structures after which they were demolished on Sunday.

The operation on Burnes Road started on Saturday and illegal extensions of around 650 shops and residential buildings were demolished on the first day of the operation.

Residents of Burnes Road also expressed pleasure over the removal of encroachments. Some local residents met the metropolitan commissioner and other officials and said it had become troublesome for them to live in the area due to narrow streets and persistent traffic jams due to encroachments.

District Central

The anti-encroachment operation will start in District Central from Monday (today). District Municipal Corporation (DMC) Central Chairman Rehan Hashmi said this while talking to The News. He said encroached upon roads and footpaths in the district would be cleared in the operation and parked vehicles and construction material on the roads would be removed.

According to Hashmi, the apex court order against encroachments in the city would be implemented in letter and spirit. Responding to a query about a statement of Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar on a television channel according to which Yadgar-e-Shuhada in Azizabad would be demolished, Hashmi said an explanation had been issued on the statement and the Yadgar would not be razed.

The DMC Central chairman also discussed the issue of many parks and roads in the district that were named after Altaf Hussain and his kin and had to be renamed as per decisions of the Apex Committee and Sindh cabinet.

The Sind government has recently issued a circular, seeking replies on an immediate basis from its various authorities and departments and civic and local government agencies regarding the progress made so far to implement the decision to rename 51 public places, institutions and buildings in Karachi named after Muttahida Qaumi Movement founder Altaf Hussain and his family members.

Hashmi maintained that orders of the Apex Committee would be implemented in this regard. He said the DMC had already renamed such roads and parks within its jurisdictions after religious scholars and national heroes.