Over 50 restaurants, shops razed in Hill Park

Over 50 illegally constructed restaurants and shops were demolished by the anti-encroachment department of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) in Hill Park on Friday.

Metropolitan Commissioner Dr Syed Saif-ur-Rehman, who was monitoring the operation, said the removed structures, including two wedding halls, a mini golf club, illegal boundary walls and a Citizens-Police Liaison Committee office, were built on more than 20 acres of the park land worth around Rs50billion

He said the area had been completely cleaned from encroachments on the directive of the Supreme Court.

Lea Market traders

On Thursday, Mayor Wasim Akhtar said the shopkeepers of the Lea Market had been six days to remove their shops and other encroachments.

He said this while talking to a delegation of the Lea Market Traders’ Association who called on the mayor at his office. Karachi Development Authority (KMC) Senior Director Anti-Encroachments Bashir Siddiqui and other senior KMC officers were also present on the occasion.

He said at least 933 shops would be removed from the market as it had been declared as heritage market by the Supreme Court.

Akhtar said all kinds of encroachments and illegal constructions would be removed and the affected shopkeepers would be given alternative places. He urged the traders to cooperate with the anti-encroachments staff during the operation.