2,500 shops razed in Saddar area: KMC report

KARACHI: The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) on Saturday sent a report regarding the anti-encroachment operation in the metropolis’ Saddar area to the commissioner and stated that 2,500 shops were razed.

In keeping with the Supreme Court’s directives, KMC prepared a report on the anti-encroachment operation in Karachi’s Saddar and surrounding areas which was conducted from November 5 to 15.

Along with its report, KMC also sent pictures of the area cleared following the drive to the Karachi commissioner.

As per the report, 2,500 illegal shops were razed during the anti-encroachment operation. Six RCC basement and a two-storey building were also demolished to “restore Empress Market”.

“480 illegal shops on Sohrab Khattak Road, 150 encroachments on Sarmad Shaheed Road and 450 stalls at Shahrah-e-Iraq were demolished during the drive,” the report added. It further said that 7,500 sun shades at Akbar Road and surrounding areas were also removed.

“Encroachments on Zaibunnisa Street, Magazine Line, Abdullah Haroon Road, Raja Ghazanfar Ali Road and Mir Karam Ali Talpur Road were also removed,” the report read.

Further, the report informed that anti-encroachment operations are under way in six other zones of the city.

Karachi Mayor Waseem Akhtar while speaking to media outside an anti-terrorism court said, “We had told the Supreme Court that matters will have to be resolved after taking all stakeholders on-board.”

“People are clearing encroachments themselves. Footpaths are for people to walk on and not for stalls but in Karachi people do as they please,” he added.

“The Supreme Court had directed that Saddar be cleared of encroachments to set a model. Now, KMC will increase the scope of the anti-encroachment operation,” the Karachi mayor added.