City Reporter
Mayor Karachi Wasim Akhtar said a total of 2600 traders affected in the anti encroachment drive out of which alternate for 2100 has been arranged and remaining will get the shops for business in next two months.
Addressing a ceremony held in the KMC head office on Thursday on the balloting of alternate shops and offices to 405 affectees of zoological garden market he said that KMC alone did all this with its resources as no one helped us in relocation of these traders.
Mayor Karachi said that it was his responsibility to focus the problems of people in the city. Supreme Court’s directive for removal of encroachments was aimed at restoring the original shape of the city and that is why we appreciated it. In past we did wrong things by allowing people to do commercial activities on city parks, drains and pavements. The situation reached at the stage where this city lost its beauty and people faced lot of difficulties in their daily life.
He called this unfortunate that the federal and provincial governments failed to secure their land and the ownership of the city was never seen. “The Sindh government though initially made some commitments for supporting the relocation of affectees but nothing was done practically,” he said and added that this city is our home and we all have this responsibility to protect it from encroachments and maintain its beauty.
He said everything was being done in accordance with the rules and regulations. The delay in allotment of shops was due to the fact that we wanted to provide permanent place for business to these traders. Metropolitan Commissioner Dr Syed Saif-ur-Rehman said that it was even more important to relocate the traders than to remove them in the anti encroachments drive.
He said the Mayor Karachi had concerns from the first day regarding relocation of these traders. It was a difficult decision to utilize the costly municipal land for this purpose.
He expressed hope that these traders would have a good business at the new place. Parliamentary leader in city council Aslam Shah Afridi said that the MQM proved this that it felt the pain of people. Mayor Karachi has given their right and the remaining would too get the alternate soon. Chairman of Karachi Tajir Ittehad Ateeq Mir said it was a pleasure to see such events that rehabilitate people’s livelihood.
Mayor Karachi was not bound to provide alternate to the tenants but he himself decided to accommodate them which is a proof of his commitment to serving the citizens. General Secretary of Zoological Garden Market Association Asif Shehzad said that they made many efforts but no one listened to us. When we contacted the mayor, he arranged the alternate for us for which we are grateful to him. Later Mayor Karachi, along with the metropolitan commissioner and trader’s representatives performed the balloting and announced the names of traders who got the shops and offices at the alternate place.
