Encroachment menu: Illegal constructions of 3 Clifton restaurants bulldozed

DMC South claims 'Shandaar Salateen’, 'Shinwari Salateen' and 'Super Salateen' had failed to comply with...


Sohail Khattak January 03, 2014
DMC South's anti-encroachment cell removed encroachments opposite Dr Ziauddin Hospital. PHOTO: ONLINE/FILE

KARACHI: Despite protestations by the management, a large contingent of District Municipal Corporation (DMC) South Karachi's anti-encroachment team and a 100 member police force, parts of two popular restaurants in Clifton were demolished on Friday during an anti-encroachment drive.

Located across from the Dr Ziauddin Hospital in Clifton, the ‘Shandaar Salateen Hotel’, the 'Shinwari Salateen Hotel' and the 'Super Salateen Hotel'. The eateries are popular for their chicken and mutton dishes.

DMC South's anti-encroachment team bulldozed what it claimed were illegal constructions made on land encroached by the eatery. The municipality also cut off the restaurant's gas and power supply lines apart from smashing furniture placed outside the main hotel premises in a five hour long operation.

“They had illegally occupied the place and we were receiving complaints from the residents that the hotel was creating problems for them and were also creating traffic jams in the area,” said DMC South anti-encroachment cell director Agha Fahad.

Personally overseeing the operation, Fahad said that they have taken the action on the direction of Assistant Commissioner South Maqsood Ghumro and he was leading the operation. He further alleged that the hotels were supplying wine and drugs.

“We warned them time and again to remove the encroachments but they did not comply. Now I don’t think after all this they will encroach it again,” said DMC South deputy director Yahaya Noor.

The DMC team were accompanied by a large contingent of police officials.

“We helped the DMC officials who actually carried the operation. They asked for our help in case of retaliation but they did not retaliate,” said Additional Superintendent Police (ASP) Clifton Ibadit Nisar who was heading the police party.

Inside the trashed hotel a few men wearing white caps searched about in the dark trying to make apart intact furniture from a heap of chairs, tables and plates. “We have been serving mutton Karahi in the city for more than a decade and we were never involved in any illegal business” said Khan Mohammad, a worker at the Shandaar Salateen Hotel.

“They came without any prior notice and destroyed everything of the both the hotel.”

Mohammad added that three people who worked for the restaurant were arrested. “The police arrested three of our men and took away some of our material including a generator which they first crushed along with other belongings of the hotel.”

Another worker at the restaurant, Taj Mohammad, recounted how the eatery was a popular spot for families as well. “People would come with their families. iI we were ever involved in illegal or immoral business educated and elite class of the city would have never brought their families.”

“Parliamentarians, forces officers and people from every strata of the city have tasted our Chapli Kabab, Bar B-Q, Karahi and chicken-fry,” Taj Mohammad claimed.

The hotels owners were unavailable for comment.

COMMENTS (2)

Bozo | 10 years ago | Reply

what is tax?@Ajab Khan Baloch:

Ajab Khan Baloch | 10 years ago | Reply

And I bet these Restaurants were not paying any taxes.

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