Daily Times

KARACHI: Half hearted demolishing drive against illegal commercial and residential constructions on state land by land control authorities has been still on snail pace in Karachi.

Around twelve such authorities in city have official mandate to demolish illegal constructions on their respective jurisdictions. But only three of them had been busy in cosmetic operation that was limited to demolishing wedding halls constructed illegally and without permission.

Karachi Development Authority remained restricted in taking action against wedding halls contrary to the Supreme Court (SC)’s orders to raze to ground construction on estate or encroached private land in city.

Similarly Karachi Metropolitan Corporation took action against encroachers of roadside commercial sites, pathways and makeshift businesses in front of main markets. The civic entity remained zero in taking action against commercial constructions on government encroached lands. In the same way, Sindh Control Building Authority has also been a failure so far in taking action against illegal construction on authorities’ land in city.

On the other hand, Malir Development Authority, Lyari Development Authority, Cantonments Boards, Sindh Katchi Abadis Authority, Gothabad Schemes, Cooperative Societies and Pakistan Railway took no any action in this respect. As these entities with having land control in their respective administrative precincts are responsible to take action against illegal commercial constructions.

This is sheer defying SC directives for taking action against encroachers of lands and commercial constructions. It is pertinent to mention here that SC through its order 7-K/2017 has ordered SCBA, KDA and KMC to demolish such construction on government and public land through China Cutting. sBut matter has become worst after ties between officials of civic entities and land mafia people who have been involved in such China Cutting and land grabbing.

A number of encroached lands of parks, playgrounds and other amenities plots across city were still ignored of any action by these civic entities.

The civil society and Qamar Qureshi, Chairman Economic Forum Pakistan have maintained that civic agencies have also been concealing their crimes by creating over 54,000 illegal plots through China Cutting and allowed commercial constructions. Where are the authorities going to take action against illegal commercial constructions as according to record provided by KDA and Master Plan Department, 54,000 plots at 112 sites have been encroached upon through China Cutting, they lamented.

Only action is focused on falling down wedding halls and lawns as this is the easy way to mint illegal gratification, they added. KDA instead of implementing SC orders on the contrary, immediately started demolition of wedding halls existed on amenity plots. Whereas civic agency is taking no action on restoring encroached land/demolition of China Cutting, which was actually objective of Court orders. Demolishing wedding halls on regular allotted amenity plots does not serve any purpose for the government, as no land would be recovered by government for public utility purposes.

On the other hand, Sami Siddiqui, Director General KDA has claimed that he has been supervising anti encroachment drive and “We have decided to continue this campaign on permanent basis”. In around 574 katchi abadis, illegal and out of approved plans’ construction is going unabated and SCBA is inactive and silent on the matter of China Cutting construction in Surjani Town, North Karachi, North Nazimababd, Gulberg, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Korangi, Shah Faisal and Malir.

Published in Daily Times, December 16^th 2017.