KARACHI: The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation on Friday demolished and sealed four wedding lawns constructed illegally on as many amenity plots allotted decades ago for other purposes.

One of the wedding halls was owned by Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader Babar Ghauri, whose party condemned the action and blamed Local Government Minister Sharjeel Memon for “victimising” MQM leaders and workers on the pretext of an anti-encroachment drive.

Sources said that these plots had been allotted three to four decades back and were being misused for over a quarter of a century.

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A KMC spokesperson told Dawn that Administrator Saqib Soomro in exercise of powers of the City Council conferred on him through a government’s notification dated Dec 7, 2011 allowed the KMC and defunct KDA on March 30 to cancel the lease of all such amenity plots which were not being used for the purposes for which they had been allotted.

They said that Mr Ghauri’s Florence Marriage Lawn in North Nazimabad’s Block H was built on an amenity plot, ST 2, which was originally allotted to Dr Abdul Jamil Khan on Dec 8, 1964 for the construction of a hospital to provide medical treatment to the poor and deserving patients.

They said that on Jan 5, 1993 the amenity plot was transferred to Mr Ghauri, Khurshid Ahmed and Ms Badri Sadri by Dr Khan.

The defunct Karachi Development Authority (KDA) had issued show-cause notices regarding the transfer of the plot and repeatedly warned the beneficiaries that the said plot could only be used for the construction of a hospital. However no heed was paid to the KDA’s warnings in the years to come.

On Friday, the KMC’s anti-encroachment department demolished the marriage hall and other construction on it and took possession of the plot.

Civic Marriage Lawn

In 1970, a 1937-square-yard plot in Gulshan-i-Iqbal was allotted to Dr Nusrat Aziz for the construction of a hospital in five years. However Dr Aziz failed to do so following which the KDA cancelled his rights on the plot on Feb 7, 1982. He had appointed Brig Jamil as his special attorney, who on Dec 2, 1997 allowed builders to start construction works with the endorsement of the Pakistan Embassy in Washington DC.

When the KDA began to take action against the illegality committed in relation with the use of the amenity plot, the attorney filed a case in court and the court issued a show-cause notice on the construction of the Civic Marriage Lawn on the amenity plot.

The sources said that Brig Jamil was repeatedly warned to stop commercial activities on the plot, which was allotted for public welfare purpose but he did not pay any attention to these notices.

Junagarh Lawn

In 1978, the KDA had allotted a 4,000-square-yard plot (ST 2-1 and 2C) to the Junagarh State Federation for public welfare purposes. But the federation did not use these plots for public welfare and constructed wedding lawns on it.

The KDA had issued various show-cause notices in 1994 to them and warned them to stop commercial activities on the said plot but the federation never paid any heed to it.

Faran Club

In 1975, the civic agency had allotted the 2,000-square-yard plots (ST 1A and 1B) to the Faran Club International for the promotion of social and cultural activities.

The Faran Club also violated the rules and regulations and various show-cause notices were issued to them but no action was taken.

MQM condemns ‘discriminatory’ action

The MQM coordination committee condemned the demolition of wedding lawns of its office-bearers and workers on the pretext of an anti-encroachment drive under LG minister Sharjeel Memon.

In a statement issued on Friday, it said that minister Memon was demolishing wedding lawns that were started over 25 to 30 years ago by fulfilling all legal requirements.

It said that even wedding lawns established on private properties were being demolished which make it evident that the entire exercise was partial and discriminatory.

Published in Dawn, April 4th, 2015

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