KBCA and KCCI to conduct Shahrah-e-Liaquat survey

A joint team of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) and Karachi Building Control Authority (KBCA) will conduct a survey of Shahrah-e-Liaquat to assess the current status, number of affectees and estimated loss of land/share of each shop under the road's widening programme.
The findings of the proposed survey will be placed before the City Nazim for evolving a pragmatic formula to resolve the issue of demolition of shops. This was agreed in a meeting at KCCI, attended by Controller of Buildings Saddar Town, Agha M. Abbass and KCCI members and shop owners.
Earlier, KCCI Special Committee for Small Traders' Chairman Abdul Majeed Memon strongly reacted to notices issued to the shop owners to vacate the shops and remove the encroachments within 24 hours. Agha M. Abbass informed the meeting that Shahrah-e-Liaquat would be widened up to 25-30 foot under a Master Plan for widening the city's roads.
KBCA will, however, commence the work of removal of any encroachments after taking into confidence the owners of shops and buildings of the affected area. He clarified that the owners of the shops and buildings on Shahrah-e-Liaquat had already signed an undertaking that for widening of the road the government can get vacated or demolished the buildings coming in way of widening and the owners would not claim any compensation whatsoever in this regard.
Agha M. Abbass also said that proper notices would be issued to the shops and buildings owners for vacating their premises in a reasonable time. Abdul Majeed Memon was of the view that the widening of road would affect many owners of shops and buildings and this would cause major economic problems for them as most of the affected shops and buildings were there for more than 50 years.
"We have cordial relations with provincial and City District Government and we are sure that this matter will also be resolved amicably and KCCI would give a pragmatic formula to resolve the problem", he said. KCCI would nominate a five-member committee, headed by its Senior Vice President A. Abdullah Zaki, to conduct a joint survey with KBCA.