MQM leaders illegal wedding lawn razed in North Nazimabad – Pakistan – DAWN.COM

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 governments 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 Ghauris Florence Marriage Lawn in North Nazimabads 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 KDAs warnings in the years to come.

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

Civic Marriage Lawn

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MQM leaders illegal wedding lawn razed in North Nazimabad - Pakistan - DAWN.COM