The district administration has launched an anti-encroachment operation in the busy commercial area of Burnes Road in Karachi’s South district. The operation, initiated at the start of Ramazan, has triggered anger among local residents.
Residents allege that the “targeted operation” is selectively demolishing specific shops while several other illegal structures have been left untouched. During a survey, locals pointed out a newly constructed five-storey building in Lane No. 1 of Burnes Road that stands adjacent to demolished encroachments but has not been acted against.
They questioned how the building was spared if all encroachments in the same alignment were being removed. Similarly, in Lane No. 2, several constructions were declared illegal and demolished; however, a regional office of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) situated among them remains intact.
Residents also highlighted an allegedly illegal shop painted in the colours of the PPP flag located in the middle of the same lane. The situation has further fueled public frustration.
Locals claim that the demolished structures were leased by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) and that they have been paying property taxes for years. They said all relevant documents were presented to the authorities, but their pleas were ignored.
When contacted, Deputy Commissioner South Javed Nabi Khoso said the operation was ongoing and being carried out without discrimination. “No one will be spared. All encroachments will be removed in phases,” he stated.
