KARACHI: The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) launched an anti-encroachment operation to demolish an illegal shopping mall and a club on the premises of the Aladdin amusement park.
The authorities launched the operation after the Supreme Court directed to demolish the Pavilion End Club and the Aladin Park Shppoing Mall, declaring it illegal and stopping all commercial activities on the premises of the park.
A large number of shop owners and employees staged a protest against the demolition of their shops and blocked the main gate of the amusement park. A heavy contingent of police was deployed at the site to ward off the protesters.
The shop owners clashed with the police as soon as the administration began the drive. Police resorted to tear gas and baton charge to disperse the protestors as they faced immense resistance in the operation. The protesters maintained that the court had not ordered the demolition of their shops which they claimed were leased by the KMC.
READ MORE: SC orders to raze Pavilion End Club, Aladin Park Shopping Mall in Karachi
A day ago, the Supreme Court has declared the Pavilion End Club and Aladin Park Shopping Mall as illegal and ordered to demolish the structures within two days.
During hearing at the Supreme Court’s Karachi registry, a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed observed that Aladin Park had been converted into Pavilion End Club and membership was being offered along with other commercial activities.
The apex court declared both structures located in Gulshan-e-Iqbal as illegal and directed the immediate action must be taken with help of police and Rangers.
The court expressed immense displeasure and remarked that the land was illegally commercialized with the construction. It also directed to vacate the land adjacent to the UBL Complex on Main Rashid Minhas Road and convert it into a greenbelt.
It directed the Karachi administrator to immediately demolish the club and end other commercial activities on the park’s premises and file a compliance report within two days.
