Lyari Expressway: KMC starts anti-encroachment drive against 76 houses

Project was suspended after residents took stay order from court.

KARACHI: Major obstacles in the completion of Lyari Expressway will finally be overcome as Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) started on Thursday an anti-encroachment drive against the 76 houses at Liaquatabad, Angara Goth and ‘A’ Area.

The operation is being carried out on the orders of Sindh High Court, said KMC anti-encroachment director Mazhar Khan. Sindh High Court has directed the residents to vacate the land by June 8, so construction could resume.

The work on the project had been suspended after the residents took stay order from the court against it.

Initially, we are demolishing empty houses and we have given warnings to remaining residents of the area to vacate their houses as soon as possible, Khan told The Express Tribune. The operation will be completed soon if the residents cooperate with the authorities, he added.



Many of the residents have been paid compensation while the rest will be paid soon, said District Central assistant commissioner Fahim Khan, adding that work on the north bound flank of the Lyari Expressway will finally resume.

“We have to obey the court orders but we hope that we will be compensated soon as last time many of our neighbours were evicted without being compensated,” said one of the residents, requesting anonymity.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 11^th, 2016.