Footpaths cleared of welfare organisations’ cabins in District East

To remove cabins of various welfare organisations, including the Edhi Foundation, Chippa, Saylani, Alamgir Welfare Trust, Jafaria Disaster Management Cell and others, from footpaths, the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation’s (KMC) anti-encroachment department launched an operation on Tuesday in District East.

Around 45 cabins of these organisations were destroyed in the district, said KMC Director Anti-Encroachment Bashir Siddiqi. “There were cages for goats, dastarkhawans, makeshift offices on footpaths in large numbers in the District East,” he said and added that all of them were destroyed.

The operation was in continuation to the anti-encroachment drive initiated by the KMC last year to comply with the SC orders. The corporation has demolished several illegal shops and their boards on footpaths throughout the city.

As per the court’s order, none of the welfare activities could be allowed on footpaths, after which the KMC has also stopped issuing permits for setting up such stalls and cabins on footpaths and roads.

The drive against the installations of welfare organisations on footpaths started in District Central on Tuesday when more than 50 Dastarkhawans and other installations were razed to the ground in Golimar, Gulberg, Nazimabad, North Nazimabad, Godra, New Karachi, Nagan Chowrangi, Liaquatabad and Sohrab Goth.

The operation on Wednesday in District East was carried out in the areas of Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Lines Area, Sharea Faisal, Civic Centre, Hassan Square, Numaish Chowrangi and in front of the Liaquat National Hospital and Agha Khan Hospital. However, the operation, according to the director, was not carried out in those areas that were not under the administrative control of the KMC. Some area of District East comes under the Faisal Cantonment Board, Siddiqi said, adding that the KMC did not carry out any operation there.