Daily Times

KARACHI: Four wedding halls built on an amenity plots measuring 5,000 square yards belonging to Khawaja Izhar Hussain, Muttahida Quami Movement Pakistan (MQM)’s opposition leader in Sindh Assembly have been bulldozed by Estate and Enforcement Department (EED) of Karachi Development Authority (KDA) in North Karachi.

It has been learnt by daily Times that Qadeer Mangi, Director EED KDA that on directives of Sindh Government the civic entity has started operation against 187 illegal wedding halls built on plots of parks, playgrounds, green belts, streets and roads and on amenity plots.

Around 9 marriage halls and illegally constructed building structures in Surjani Town have also been demolished in this regard.

According to Qadeer Mangi land encroachment from 2002 till date is being strictly monitored by EED KDA staff in order to keep transparency at the time of bulldozing illegal industrial, commercial and residential structures, however according to sources the EED staff is itself involved in the illegal encroachment of and has been facilitating the builders.

Jamil Baloch, Additional Director EED KDA said First Investigation Report at Anti Encroachment Police Station East has been registered against Bilal Manzar, former Director KDA Land, Atif Naqvi Additional Director Shifting and Faisal Sheerazi, an KDA official who were involved in this ugly business.

Besides several private builders and land grabbers several other persons have also been booked under anti encroachment section at the same police station, he added.

He informed that entity would not spare any step to purge the department from the black sheep even such officials would be suspended from their respective posts.

However according to sources the DG KDA is himself endorsing the builders involved in illegal constructions.

The illegal constructed structures on plot numbers, ST 22 sector 5-B in North Karachi and on ST-19, sector 7-D, ST 22, sector 7-C, ST 8, sector 7-D in Surjani Townhave been razed to the ground.