Illegal Land Encroachments in Karachi City

Every city is planned in certain way keeping in mind its needs, requirements, atmosphere population etc. proper water, sewerage, electricity system with educational and recreational facilities are core of any cities development. And for these purpose the building control authorities or other concerned authorities design a theme master plan in which land is distributed according to the requirements.

Karachi is a metropolitan city with approx area 3, 500 km² and population over 18,000,000, full of life and in books known as the ‘city of lights’. But now these lights seems diminishing and black shades of different Mafias are now hovering over Karachi, one of which them is land Mafia.

Land Mafia of Karachi is a criminal society includes members from different fields noticeably from its kith and kin Drug Mafia, Transport Mafia and terrorism and many of them are also involved in the National politics. They start encroaching it slowly like if there is an un attended empty plot of land they will first start using it for low purposes such as transport parking or will build shelters for poor people so they could get hold of the land and then when they will get full hold of it they eradicate those poor from their and then use it for their commercial or vice versa purpose. Even in Karachi there are colonies of colonies, apartments, hotels are present over these lands, moreover dangerous part is these lands are also used to building base for further illegal acts and kith and kin societies such as drug mafia etc. Their hold in Karachi is that strong that no government dares to take action against them and even if someone dares to do so they with their full power gave Karachi a bloodguilt bath , January and March 2009 deadly riots are some small and recent examples of this.

Let’s just have a Birdseye view of Karachi and see how, where and by whom this Mafia is being operated in Karachi.

Pictures below just gives a brief idea about one of the many factions of land mafia which includes those big areas which are illegally encroached and are now portrayed as residential areas, other factions of this mafia which are present In between the legalized lands in the form land grabbers, Illegal land holders, wanders, encroachments across the side of roads etc. But from these pictures you can have an idea about how worse the situation is over the ground, and if only these big calculations are covering that big part of Karachi then if we also calculate other illegal land encroachments then how much is Karachi is now being grabbed and encroached by this Mafia?

This mostly grabs the land close the drain river (which cause narrowing down of these drains and emerging of a chaos during rain or high tights seasons) or lands allotted by the government for parks, schools and other civil and recreational facilities so harming the city in indirect way also by grabbing the basic facilities from the legal residents of the city.

How to Identify Encroached Lands?

As Mentioned above when respected authorities designs or plans and area they keep the basic necessities of the city in mind such as straight roads, house lanes etc.

Click the Image for Enlarge view

In contrary when these mafia encroaches land they just build what they need over whatever they got so an absence of proper building plan. In pictures below Illegal Encroachments can be easily identified by observing the irregularities in development structures, such as roads, lanes. Compare the red marked areas with the neighboring green marked areas to understand the difference.

Click the Image for Enlarge view

Click the Image for Enlarge view

Click the Image for Enlarge view

Click the Image for Enlarge view

Click the Image for Enlarge view

Click the Image for Enlarge view

Click the Image for Enlarge view

Click the Image for Enlarge view

Save Karachi From Being Grabbed!

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Accountability for all?

Accountability is a phenomenon which if done with all honesty and veracity can eliminate all the ills from the society and can pull the nation towards prosperity and progress. If we see the history of our country we would find a number of times when political leaders of this country chants the slogans of Accountability to others for polishing their own selves, but till now none called for an across the board Accountability for all, regardless of his affiliation and status. This is why we are still standing not too far away where we were standing 55years back.

Now a day we are again witnessing these songs of Accountability in our country and this time this not only from politicians but these chants are coming from the “respected” supreme court of the country. Who all are committed and set for the accountability of Former President of the Country Gen. Ret. Parvez Musharraf over what he did on 3^rd of November 2007 which according to them was Un Constitutional and can be trialed under Article 6 of the constitution of Pakistan (1973) which states that:

 

6. High treason.

1. Any person who abrogates or attempts or conspires to abrogate, subverts or attempts or conspires to subvert the Constitution by use of force or show of force or by other unconstitutional means shall be guilty of high treason.

2. Any person aiding or abetting the acts mentioned in clause (1) shall likewise be guilty of high treason.

3. Parliament shall by law provide for the punishment of persons found guilty of high treason.

Before going over my main point I would like to discuss one more important thing i.e. why Supreme Court is only just concerned about the act of 3rd November 2007? However similar kind of act was done by same person on 12th October 1999? Why no one wants to mention that and impeach that act also? Well may be because that October ’99 act was a fruitful one for “respected” Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry as it elevated him to the Supreme Court from Baluchistan High Court after he took oath under the P.C.O. of that time presented by Gen. Parvez Musharraf, but on November 2007 same person, same act and his P.C.O. becomes bad as it took away the seat of “respected” Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.

Coming back to the point, let for the sake of argument if we consider Gen Ret. Parvez Musharraf guilty of Article 6 clause (1) of constitution of Pakistan, then there is another clause in Article 6 after this which says:

Article (6) Clause 2:

• Any person aiding or abetting the acts mentioned in clause (1) shall likewise be guilty of high treason.

So according to this clause “respected” Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry is also equally culpable and guilty of Article 6 i.e. of high treason and should be impeached and set accountable in front of the nation. Because:

• C. J. Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was among the first judges who took oath under the P.C.O. of Gen. Parvez Musharraf in January 2000 and got promotion to Supreme Court from Baluchistan High Court to fill the vacancies left by those judges who refused to take oath under the P.C.O.

• April, 2005 C. J. Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was among the 5 judges who dismissed all the petitions against Gen. Parvez Musharraf’s constitutional amendments including 17th Amendment, his Uniform and Legal Framework Order hence Validating Gen. Parvez Musharraf’s acts of suspending the constitution, allowing him to keep two offices (i.e. of President and Chief of Army Staff).

So, according to the constitution of Pakistan (1973) C. J. Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry is also guilty of Article 6 as he abetted the acts of Gen. Parvez Musharraf which he and his companions now calls “unconstitutional”. And honest demand of Accountability is that if Gen. Parvez Musharraf is going to be asked for his acts then C. J. Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry should also be.

And not only are these two personalities’, acts done by an illegal or unconstitutional person also illegal and unconstitutional so all the acts by these two are also illegal including:

• National Reconciliation Order (N.R.O.) by Gen. Ret. Pervez Musharraf, and
• Cases handled by C. J. Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry including “plane hijacking case” and “Sharifs ineligibility case”.

 

Respect Constitution, Respect Accountability

Accountability for All!

Firing over J.S.Q.M.’s Rally and Unasked Justification from A.N.P. .

An Unfortunate Incident:

Today, again Karachi was in news throughout the day because of an another unfortunate event occurred during the J.S.Q.M. (Jiye Sindh Qaumi Mahaz)’s rally in Karachi. The Rally was targeted by two gunmen loaded with kalashanikovs, in retaliation J.S.Q.M. workers killed one of the attackers and other was arrested with injuries. The incident occurred when the JSQM’s rally reached Race course road near Safora Goth chowringi, where the rally was targeted by those Gunmen. Violent incidents and protest in interior parts of Sind and national highway Karachi occurred following this incidents.

Obvious One:

Seeing the scenario this incident can’t be termed as unexpected, J.S.Q.M. a party which is on the hard line over the issue of Swat IDP’s coming to Sind, taking out a procession in A.N.P. dominated area (Safora Goth), who are the biggest advocate of I.D.P.s settlement to Sind, rifts between these two parties had also created misfortunes in past, ethnic riots in Karachi and firing over the J.S.Q.M.’s procession which claimed many lives earlier this year are the fresh examples.

So, nothing peaceful can be expected when J.S.Q.M. will hold a procession in front of A.N.P. . what can be said about the violent activities of A.N.P. but for their own benefit they should they should learn to act a little. And even this was not it, just 1 or 2 hours after the incident A.N.P. Sind President showed up in a Press Conference saying that this incident is a play to create rifts between J.S.Q.M. & A.N.P. .

 

Well, There are few Question need to be answered:

Why Mr.Shahi Syed did came on T.V. so hurriedly, giving justification of “No A.N.P. involvement” in the incident, who asked for it? “Is it the self-Guilt of a failed plan” or a fear to be Nominated because of which he himself is saying “hum ne tu yeah jurm nai kia”?

Mr.Shahi Syed said “it’s a plan to harden the relationship between two parties”, well before this he should tell that when the relationship between two parties got softer?

What a great person Mr. Oscar wilde was, who said:

“It is the confession, not the priest, that gives us absolution” .

Building collapsed in Liaqatabad, Karachi, several Causalities Feared

Just In: Building collapsed in Liaqatabad, Karachi, several Causalities Feared.

News is just in that a four storey building has been collapsed near Firdous Shopping Mall (Formerly known as Firdous Cinema), several people are reported to be  trapped under the debris of the collapsed building and several causalities are feared, relief and rescue activities have been started by respected department with collaboration with locals . more detail is yet un known.

Remember the building was a four storey construction but in that area more than 2 storey are prohibited, K.B.C.A. was being informed by the town office about this illegal construction but no actions were taken by them.

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Swapping the sides across the “Great BRIDGE” of Karachi.

It’s just the story of 5, 6 years back when the southern side of the Great Bridge which includes most prominently DHA and Clifton’s area was known as a status symbol, a place having well developed civic facilities compared to the other side of the city i.e. Northern which was supposed to be an under developed and lacking basic daily civic needs. And that opinion was also justified till an extent.

But in the last few years things have changed dramatically, today as compare to 5 years back it seems that someone has just turned the Great Bridge of Karachi, the Story of South is now the present of North and so as the other way round.

Today the Northern side of the Great Bridge seems having a better basic Civic structure and its seems like a developed area but when you crossed the bridge and land over northern side (Clifton and then Defence) it seems like a plain land of an small town with (is its moon soon’s season) stagnant water over the roads which have those deep and ‘strange’ so called storm water drainage system.

No matter what the side is north or south, at the end it belongs to Karachi and Karachiites also lives there. With the Grace of All Mighty ALLAH we have seen tremendous development in the northern part of Karachi of which C.D.G.K. is responsible but is there anyone who could ask to the Southern Guardians of Karachi i.e. D.H.A. and Cantonment who takes more from public compared to the other side but still they seems delivering less. ?

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