Karachi Mayor Waseem Akhtar claimed on Tuesday that no houses were razed during the anti-encroachment operation. “No houses were demolished in the anti-encroachment drive and nobody would be allowed to demolish them in the future,” said the mayor while speaking to media after the Supreme Court (SC) turned down the Sindh government’s plea to stop the ongoing anti-encroachment drive in the port city. Dismissing the impression of demolishing residences, Waseem Akhtar clarified that his mandate was only restricted to the removal of encroachments from roads and nullahs. However, the provincial government moved the petition seeking to halt the operation against illegal constructions in the city, especially those against houses of citizens, on which “I have said that my mandate allows only the removal of encroachments from roads and nullahs, not demolishing the houses,” the mayor reinforced. Vowing to restore the old outlook of the metropolis, the mayor ensured to continue the campaign against encroachments and land mafia. Earlier on Tuesday, the Karachi registry of the Supreme Court directed the federal, provincial and municipal authorities to sit together to work out a plan for provision of alternate places to the people affected by the operation. Published in Daily Times, December 12th 2018.