Karachi: Not even KWSB safe from land mafia

[Naveed Yaseen]

By M. Zeeshan Azmat
As land-grabbing continues unabated in the city, precious public land belonging to the Board of Revenue (BoR) and the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) has been encroached upon without any action being taken, The News has learnt. This includes a 500-square-yard plot owned by the KWSB in front of Pir Pagara House, Main Karsaz Road, which KWSB sources say attracted the land mafia because of its prime location.

According to them, the land had originally been allocated for a water-pumping station and other machinery. “The equipment took up barely 100 yards of space, but the rest of the area been occupied,” they told The News. Many other plots have suffered in a similar fashion, such as the piece of land reserved for a pumping station in Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Block-1.

Sources claim that the foundation stone laid by Town Nazim Wasey Jalil can be found within the premises of the bungalow of the encroacher. “Authorities within both the KWSB and local police are silent over the matter,” they added. Similarly, a 300-square-yard pumping station situated at Maskan Chowrangi is said to be taken over by Iqbal Batwa, a KWSB employee deployed in Korangi, and once again, no action has been taken. On the contrary, sources confirmed that Batwa had been promoted from Grade II to a higher position.

Meanwhile, behind the Sindbad Park in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Block-10, ‘Nazarat’ land surrounded by two water truck lines has also been illegally taken over. Here, however, The News has learnt the Station House Officer at the Aziz Bhatti Police was suspended for failing to file an intelligence report of the matter, despite having full knowledge of the encroachment.

But it is not just KWSB land that has attracted the attention of the land mafia. Nearly every amenity plot belonging to the National Cement Housing Society, Union Council-7, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Block-10-A, has been encroached on. A survey of the area revealed that the plots that were taken over had originally been reserved for a medical centre, a school and parks, but was instead sold by land-grabbers for a handsome amount.

Moreover, some 13 Katachi Abadis in Shanti Nagar and Dalmiya, Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town, are due to be regularised soon under the Gothabad Housing Scheme, with inhabitants claiming the land as their rightful property. According to them, their forefathers lived in the area long before partition, giving them the right to own the land today. Locals lament the lack of effort being made to recover all the land being taken over despite falling under BoR jurisdiction. They blame the Awami National Party, Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) and PPP Shaheed Bhutto Group for being involved, while activists of the area say that Sohail Zafar Chatta, former Senior Superintendent of Police, knew of the encroachment, but failed to take action.

At the same time, more land has been illegally taken over in Gulistan-e-Jauhar as balloting plots in Block-10 and Block-12 fall prey to the land mafia, who are said to be using the flags of political parties to keep away police and the police and owners.

This particular piece of land in question had been encroached in the past, too, but law enforcement agencies had managed to recover it without there being any bloodshed. Then, land grabbers had built worship places to encroach the area, which authorities later demolished. In their place, however, second-hand furniture showrooms were illegally set up, along with go-downs of bamboo woods and ladders.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=174704