Empress Market

Author: Daily Times

The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) is taking its role in ridding Empress Market in Saddar of all illegal encroachers extremely seriously. Sunday alone saw some 1,043 shops demolished. That traders were not given time to secure their merchandise violated the agreement reached a day earlier between the KMC and the All Empress Market Associations. The former must be must now be compensated for losses that are estimated to total Rs450 million.

That operations are being conducted in accordance with Supreme Court (SC) orders does not render the KMC and relevant civic bodies immune to criticism. For the drive to restore the colonial-era building to its former glory has been entirely mismanaged. Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhter has pledged to relocate legitimate traders to other areas of the city. But such moves ought to have preceded displacement. Thus shop owners must be compensated for loss of revenue incurred during the interim. Especially as many had been paying rent to the concerned authorities for the last three decades as part of a formal agreement.

When it comes to illegal vendors, the case is a little less clear-cut. But one thing is certain: efforts to de-humanise those belonging to the lower-classes are in full swing. Admittedly, they may have encroached upon government land. Yet the answer must rest in making the system accessible to the poor. After all, the latter are lambasted for cluttering upscale commercial areas when they have no other choice than to resort to begging. Ditto when it comes to makeshift shelters made of cardboard, or, for the more fortunate, discarded tarpaulin. What is happening at Empress Market represents more of the same. A drive to clean up the area so that the children of the rich can enjoy the soon-to-be constructed parks. This is where the KMC as well as the courts need to display a duty of care; if not compassion.

The Pashtun community is reportedly the most affected by the anti-encroachment drive. Thereby raising the question of whether or not this has any bearing on the 15-day deadline. After all, this ethnic group knows what it is to be not accepted into the mainstream. As when the question of refugees being granted citizenship was raised by the ruling PTI — discussions almost immediately focused on the presence of Pashtuns upsetting the ethnic balance in both Sindh and Balochistan; despite many having lived in those provinces for around 40 years. Be that as it may, political parties in the area, namely the PTI, the ANP and the JUI-F, have called on the SC to appoint a Nazir to monitor the anti-encroachment efforts and to also constitute a special committee comprising stakeholders to resolve the issue. Yet again, this is akin to locking the stable door once the horse has bolted.

And lastly, the courts, the Prime Minister and the provincial government must perhaps revisit notions of clean-up projects. For as things currently stand, the message being sent today is one that prioritises the showcasing of a colonial-era building over a local citizenry trying to earn a living. There must be something wrong with this picture.  *

Published in Daily Times, November 13th 2018.

Share
Leave a Comment

Recent Posts

  • Business
  • Education
  • Uncategorized

President Awards Kamran Ahmad Bhatti for Outstanding Contributions to Education

President Arif Alvi honored Kamran Ahmad Bhatti, CEO and Co-founder of New Star Book Depot,…

59 mins ago
  • Business
  • Education

President Awards Kamran Ahmad Bhatti for Outstanding Contributions to Education

President Arif Alvi honored Kamran Ahmad Bhatti, the CEO and Co-founder of New Star Book…

1 hour ago
  • Pakistan

Onic & Careem sign MoU to forge strategic alliance

Islamabad, March 28, 2024: Onic, the new digital telco brand in Pakistan and Careem, the…

18 hours ago
  • Pakistan

Charting the AI Revolution: Pakistan’s Vision for Technological Sovereignty and Economic Growth

In the intricate tapestry of Pakistan’s journey towards technological and economic renaissance, the insights of…

21 hours ago
  • Sindh

Sindh: Senate elections, final list of candidates released

Sindh: Senate elections, final list of candidates released The Election Commission of Sindh has released…

21 hours ago
  • Top Stories

The Federal Cabinet approved the inclusion of 24 names in the ECL

The Federal Cabinet approved the inclusion of 24 names in the ECL The federal cabinet…

22 hours ago