Sindh

Operation against land grabbers to start from Taiser Town: official

Encroachers told to vacate illegally occupied properties

Our Correspondent May 30, 2022

The Sindh labour department has constructed flats and houses for labourers all over the city but some have been illegally occupied by encroachers. PHOTO: FILE

KARACHI:

Malir Development Authority (MDA) has prepared an action plan to retrieve 5,000 acres of land worth Rs1,200 billion from land grabbers allegedly linked to a coterie of corrupt officers and politicians known as the Karachi System.

MDA Estate and Enforcement Director Akhtar Mayo said that the first operation would be carried out on Tuesday in Sector 47 of Taiser Town to relinquish land from illegal land occupants.

The Sindh High Court has already issued an order in this regard. Police, anti-encroachment police, Rangers and other agencies will take part in the operation against the occupiers; he added, said.

Officials requesting anonymity said that Karachi System runs the network of mega-land grabbing in collaboration with public servants and representatives.

Being politically well-connected, the Karachi System operatives have remained untouchable by the law so far, but not anymore, the officials said. Top executive of the province has given a go ahead signal for dismantling the Karachi System, they affirmed.

Meanwhile, Karachi Commissioner Muhammad Iqbal Memon, while chairing a meeting issued instructions to the institutions concerned to complete legal formalities before commencing the operation against land grabbers from Tuesday.

According to officials who attended the meeting, it was decided that action will be taken against 244 land grabbers through mutual consultation of senior administrative and military officials, in which no one will be spared.

Moreover, officials claimed that former president Asif Ali Zardari and Sindh chief minister Murad Ali Shah have issued recommendations and directives to take action against the ministers and members of assembly involved in land grabbing.

Rangers, police and other law enforcement agencies have been ordered to be at stand still to take part in the operation. In this regard, Chief Secretary Muhammad Sohail Rajput has received reports from all intelligence agencies, including Rangers besides all the investigative agencies.

Rajput has formed a seven-member committee headed by Karachi commissioner to execute the operation against land grabbers. The committee will be coordinated by Additional IG Karachi, Director General Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA), Chairman Association of Builders and Developers (ABAD), heads of local government and civic institutions and two other officers.

Separate committees have been formed at district and sub-divisional level vide Order No. So (C-IV) / SGA & CD / 4-14 / LG / 21 dated 27 May 2022 signed by Rajput.

In this regard, the Malir Development Authority has released statistics of occupants and illegal occupants through advertisements in newspapers.

According to Malir Development Authority, miscreants who have illegally occupied lands and encroachment in the name of villages, goths in any of the said sectors, should vacate them within seven days, that is June 4, otherwise action will be taken against them under Anti-Encroachment Act.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 30^th, 2022.