All Pakistan Motorcycle Spares-parts Importers and Dealers Association (APMSI&DA) has requested the Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar to take suo motu against the KMC who had served notices for vacating five markets within just three days.
Speaking at a press conference held at the association's office, APMSI&DA chairman Faisal Khalil, along with the presidents of all affected markets associations, said that KMC has issued three-day evacuation notices to the shopkeepers of Aurangzeb Market, KMC Taj Mahal Market, Urdu Bazaar, Bahadur Shah Market and Akbar Road Market, which he called unjustified because they had been doing business at the said places for last 60 years.
He condemned the bulldozing by the KMC of those shops having legal status under the garb of anti-encroachment drive, which, he feared, would increase unemployment, drastically.
"This KMC anti-encroachment drive is detrimental for Karachi's business community and will create hazardous impact on national economy as well because the city contributes 60 per cent of total revenue of the country," he alerted.
Faisal said that KMC, which constructed these markets in 1961, had been regularly collecting rents and in addition the shopkeepers were also paying income tax and sales tax on the businesses running in these markets. Therefore, these markets are not falling under the ambit of encroachment. He cited that the KMC was flouting the directives of Chief Justice of Pakistan for serving 45-day notice prior to any action and had issued only three-day evacuation notices to the shopkeepers, which he termed nothing but intended to destroy their businesses.
Chairman APMSI&DA along with the presidents of all affected markets association also requested the CJP to look into the matter and take suo moto in this regard as these markets were not encroachments.
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