More flats of Moon Garden sealed: residents' protest enters 4th day; minister vows support

Moon Garden apartment building's residents' protest against sealing of their flats continued on the fourth consecutive day on Friday. A protesting woman, who identified herself as Shagufta Shabbir, said: "It is beyond one's comprehension that the police, instead of arresting builder of the building - Abdul Razzaq Khamosh - is harassing owners of the flats." She also claimed she had bought a 99-year leased flat in the apartment building.
There are in all 180 flats in the building and 120 of them are already occupied and where families have been residing for the last three years. Their forcible ejection and sealing of their flats by police clearly indicated the authority's apathy towards the people being uprooted from their homes, remarked a bystander. Another protester said: "I have paid some Rs 2.6 million to get the ownership of a flat here. I am living here for the last three months, but now I am being forced to evacuate my apartment."
"Isn't it an irony that Pakistan Railways did not raise the issue of illegal construction on its land although builder of Moon Gardens had initiated construction on the plot around 15 years back," another protester wondered, accusing police and officials of Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) of minting money from the builder of the project as long as it continued to be raised.
It may be pointed out that Pakistan Railways Employees Co-operative Housing Society had filed a petition against the 'illegal' construction of Moon Garden apartment building on its land in the Sindh High Court. During a hearing of the case, the SHC a few days ago issued orders for getting the building vacated. The SHC has also directed Sui Southern Gas Company Limited, K-Electric, and Karachi Water and Sewerage Board, etc to sever the project's water, electricity and gas connections. Meanwhile, Sindh Home Minister Nasir Hussain Shah, during his visit to the `controversial' apartment building, has assured the affected people of the provincial government's full cooperation in getting them justice.