'Encroachment' near Karachi's Hill Park raises fresh questions

Alleged encroachment and controversial constructions near Karachi’s Hill Park raised fresh questions over the role of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) land department, Geo News reported on Sunday.

The KMC land department issued a conditional no objection certificate (NOC) for a plot near the Hill Park, but on the other hand, the director of land wrote a letter to the police seeking action against the alleged encroachments, fake documents and illegal constructions.

According to the documents, the conditional NOC issued by the Land Department on April 30 regarding the plot of PECHS Block 6 stated that if the society concerned and other authorised bodies do not object and there is no encroachment on government or KMC land, then the department will not have any objection to the construction.

However, the NOC also made it clear that this ownership does not confirm legal rights or demarcation.

Meanwhile, KMC's director land wrote a letter to the SSP East claiming that some people are trying to legalise the occupation or construction on government land and Hill Park land using various documents and NOCs as a basis. He urged the police to take action against the illegal construction.

Separately, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, while addressing a press conference in the port city, clarified that the Hill Park was, and will remain the property of KMC.

Responding to a question, the mayor said that not even a single inch of the park’s land was given to anyone.