KMC halts work near Hill Park, approaches police over illegal land occupation

Mayor Karachi Barrister Murtaza Wahab has taken strict notice of illegal construction activities around Hill Park and initiated immediate legal action, a Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) spokesperson said.

KMC Spokesperson Daniyal said the construction work had already been halted a week ago on the directives of the mayor following public complaints. On his orders, formal legal proceedings have now commenced, and the KMC Land Department has dispatched a letter to the police to permanently stop the work and penalise those responsible.

An internal inquiry into the public complaints revealed that KMC had neither allotted the land nor issued any construction permits for the site.

Consequent to the complaints of illegal occupation and encroachments, directives have been issued to the officials of the Anti-Encroachment, Parks, Law, and Land departments to initiate a crackdown. Meanwhile, the Land Department has sought formal verification from the PECHS administration to confirm the exact ownership of the land.

The spokesperson added that KMC has formally approached the police to seek criminal proceedings against the elements involved in the illegal occupation of government land.

Farooq Sattar demands arrest of KMC, PECHS officials

Earlier, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) senior central leader and Member of National Assembly Dr Farooq Sattar, accompanied by senior central leader Syed Amin-ul-Haque, former Karachi mayor Waseem Akhtar, Sindh Assembly Opposition Leader Ali Khurshidi, Parliamentary Leader Iftikhar Ahmed, and other organisational officials, addressed an emergency press conference at Hill Park Karachi, presenting a scathing charge sheet against the severe distribution of Karachi’s government lands, environmental destruction, and the land grabbing mafia.

Speaking to media representatives, Dr Farooq Sattar announced that MQM-Pakistan has made a final decision that this helpless city will no longer be left “at the mercy of the beasts plundering Karachi and the land grabbers”, as this economic lifeline is gradually being handed over to mafias and turned into a hub of crime under the patronage of the most corrupt provincial government imposed on the province for the past 18 years.

Expressing severe anger over the current dilapidated condition and recent “occupation” of Hill Park, he said that the true identity of Hill Park is its hills and green trees, but showing blatant corruption just 15 days before the press conference, the hill was cut down to illegally create a plot, which has no record whatsoever in the PECHS master plan.

Severely criticising the authorities of KMC and PECHS, he alleged that the Director Land and Director Parks issued an illegal NOC in exchange for a massive sum of money, warning that if the hill is sold today, this mafia will sell the entire park tomorrow; therefore, the Director Land, Director Parks, and the Director of PECHS should immediately be handed over to NAB and sent behind bars, and the High Court should take suo motu notice of this corruption.

The MQM-P leader also took Jamaat-e-Islami to task over the illegal allotment of 983 yards under the Clifton Lily Bridge, stating that since Saifuddin Advocate is the legal advisor of PECHS, Jamaat-e-Islami is sleeping soundly under a blanket over this criminal occupation despite the High Court’s decision.

Senior Sindh Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon, while reacting to the press conference of the MQM-Pakistan leadership, said that MQM is unsuccessfully trying to keep its politics alive through baseless allegations and outdated narratives.

“MQM’s politics has always revolved around slogans, accusations, and the creation of crises, and that the same old pattern is being repeated even today,” he stated.

The Sindh information minister said that MQM itself had made provincial autonomy, constitutional powers, and the local government system controversial.

“The ongoing development projects in Karachi are undeniable ground realities that cannot be overshadowed by propaganda. The Yellow Line, Shahrah-e-Bhutto, and other development initiatives are clear evidence that the Sindh government believes in practical work and tangible progress,” he added.

He further stated that if there is any legal or administrative issue regarding a public place, it should be resolved through the courts and relevant institutions. Sharjeel expressed regret that the elements who had been adding to the problems of the city through their failed administration and vested interests for years are again trying to present themselves as saviours today.

Sharjeel further said that the Sindh government has not only devolved powers to local bodies but has also provided them with financial resources and legal support. He emphasised that Karachi is not the domain of any single political party; rather, it is the economic hub of Pakistan. He added that those who make criticism of every development initiative their political weapon are, in fact, acknowledging their own political decline.