Qureshi said the WCLA had conducted a survey to ascertain where public property had been encroached in the area. PHOTO: INP
She was speaking to The Express Tribune regarding a scuffle that took place between traders and WCLA employees on Tuesday in Topi Bazaar. Najamul Qutb alias Jaggu Bhai, a trader, had died of cardiac arrest during the brawl. Traders in the area had blamed the authority for the demise of the deceased. The traders’ community in the area observed a shutter-down strike in the wake of the incident that continued till Wednesday.
Qureshi said the WCLA had conducted a survey to ascertain where public property had been encroached in the area. She said the authority had employed several maps of the area since 1947 and utilised the services of patwaris to conduct a clear comparison and ensure impartiality on this account.
The WCLA communications director said the authority had taken similar anti-encroachment initiatives in the Delhi Gate and Akbari Mandi areas. She said the WCLA had expected greater resistance to its initiative in the Shah Alam Market as it was a larger area. Qureshi said the WCLA had set up social mobilisation committees to ensure the participation of residents and businessmen in the area.
She said the authority had been paying market prices to shopkeepers in areas where anti-encroachment drives had been carried out. “Similar work is being carried out from Kotwali Chowk to Masti Gate under Package II for the restoration of the Walled City. We have not encountered any problem there,” Qureshi said.
WCLA social mobiliser Ali Gill who works in the Shah Alam Market said the Anjuman-i-Tajiran and the Qaumi Tajiran Ittehad were the two chief traders’ associations in the Walled City. He said the authority had been holding talks with both the associations and had never encountered any problems regarding development work or anti-encroachment drives.
Gill said the committees also encouraged residents’ participation through the constitution of community-based organisations.
He said residents were engaged in community activities such as cleanliness drives. Gill said the organisations were also engaged in dispute resolution in the area and were raising awareness regarding the development and restoration work underway.
He said those responsible for the tussle constituted a part of the land mafia. Gill said they had wanted to construct plazas in the area. He said the Walled City had stopped this. “Shopkeepers know who stands where in this matter,” Gill said. He said this also explained why the traders’ strike had not spread to other markets.
A shopkeeper speaking to The Express Tribune on the condition of anonymity corroborated Gill’s claim. He said those initially involved in the tussle hailed from the land mafia. The shopkeeper vouched for Qutb’s innocence on this account nevertheless. He said he was held in high esteem by everyone and they had mourned his death by observing the strike.
Anjuman-i-Tajiran Topi Bazaar president Hashim Ali said the association had been holding talks with the WCLA regarding its anti-encroachment initiatives. He said the association would comment further on the issue following the conclusion of talks.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 23rd, 2015.
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