The landgrabbing mafia is on the rampage in Karachi. The other day, the Estate and Enforcement Department of the Lyari Development Authority (LDA), through the print media, released for the general information of the public at large, a long list, with names of some 26 landgrabbers, part of the larger 'land mafia', operating in and around the city of Karachi, who have illegally occupied government land and have demarcated clusters of plots, under various names of "Goths" with the prefixes of the names of the respective landgrabbers.
Landgrabbing is an activity that is not confined only to the outskirts of this city. A new 'Goth' has sprung up in one of the poshest localities of Karachi, called Clifton, under the patronage of the Sindh provincial authorities. Hold and behold - landgrabbing now stands institutionalised!
In this context, attention of Karachi Development Authority, (KDA), and City Government is drawn to the blatant and illegal occupation of government land which was originally part of a dual carriage road called 'Khayaban-e-Saadi', meant exclusively for the use of the general public, commuters and the residents of the locality. Almost 500 metres of this thoroughfare have been barricaded, fenced by steel and concrete walls, from the roundabout to the end of the road facing Sea View. This illegally occupied government land, a thoroughfare, has been included and attached to illegally demarcated cluster of plots, access to the sundry by-lanes and the main road, to what is now called "Bilawal Goth", named after the occupiers of the government land.
To uphold the rule of law, it is hoped that the Supreme Court, the Sindh High Court, relevant authorities, KDA and City Government would take cognisance and notice of this blatant and illegal occupation of government and public property by influential "landgrabbers", take necessary action to clear the illegal occupation, eject the landgrabbers from the occupied government land, initiate appropriate and applicable actions, under the law, against the delinquents.