Karachi Anti-Encroachment Drive: Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) has issued a 3-day deadline to demolish the shops in Urdu Bazaar as part of the anti-encroachment drive.
The announcement has triggered protests from a large number of Urdu Bazar merchants and shops vendors.
Famous for all kinds of books, stationery items, and various other study related material, Urdu Bazaar is one of the famous markets in Karachi.
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KMC officials have issued a notice to the shop owners of Urdu Bazaar as it is located over a drain.
According to The News International, the protest arose at 4 pm when the local shopkeepers and booksellers gathered in the iconic book bazaar of Karachi, holding banners stating “Stop economic murders of booksellers”.
#Breaking: #Karachi – Anti Encroachment team give 3 days deadline/notice to #UrduBazar's 2 Markets (built on Nala). #KMC to demolish around 400 shops.
Shopkeepers r worried & said these shops r not encroachment, their all dues r clear. Shopkeepers to protest at 3pm. #KHIAlerts
— SherY – (@SherySyed_) January 7, 2019
Through an open letter, the merchants have also appealed to the President of Pakistan, Dr. Arif, Chief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar, Governor Imran Ismail, and Mayor Wasim Akhtar to stop the famous Urdu Bazaar of Karachi from demolition.
They stated that a notice was issued to them by KMC to vacate the offices and shops in Urdu Bazaar Market on Sunday. They have been given a 3-day deadline which ends on Tuesday midnight after which the anti-encroachment operation will begin in the area.
Muhammad Aslam, Secretary General of Urdu Bazaar Market Association said:
“The announcement has given rise to concerns and agony among the academia, the literary circles and all those who are associated with the business of publication and sale of books, notebooks and other study material”.
He added that Urdu Bazaar has been contributing to the society, is a landmark of the city and should be declared as a part of our cultural heritage.
According to the members of Urdu Bazaar Market Association, the shops in Urdu Bazaar have been there for many decades and the majority of them have been set up through a legal procedure.
Sayed Zafarul Hassan, senior executive member of Urdu Bazaar Market Association also said that the shopkeepers have paid the rent to KMC till December 2018, which is paid after an interval of six months.
This news has stirred up tension on social media and citizens are against this latest chapter of Karachi anti-encroachment drive.
وہ جن کی زبان اردو صرف قومی زبان تک ہے وہ کیا قدر کریں گے اس ورثہ کی جو صدیوں سے کراچی کی اردو ادب کی پروان میں شامل رہا ہے !!
اردو بازار کراچی کا ورثہ ہے سندھ حکومت بشمول وفاق اور نکمے میئر کراچی بغض کراچی میں پاگل نہ ہوں کراچی کے اس ورثہ کو مسمار نہ کریں۔#UrduBazar— Nimrah Shiekh (@NimrahShiekh12) January 7, 2019
Save #urdubazar save #Karachi @omar_quraishi @Xadeejournalist @ZarrarKhuhro
— pervaizeng (@pervaizeng) January 7, 2019
Wats the point of taking an action that is only going to result in adverse impact on the society .. Joblessness frustration anxiety how r hundreds n hundreds of shopkeepers going to feed their families#AntiEncroachmentDrive #urdubazar#karachi
— homi (@rubahaq) January 7, 2019
Anti-encroachment drive’s next target is going to be #UrduBazar in #Karachi.
Let’s just be silent as our memories, culture get bulldozed before our very eyes again.— Fawad Hasan (@FawadHazan) January 7, 2019
میرا خیال ہے گورنمنٹ کو ناردرن بائی پاس میں ایک وسیع و عریض علاقہ آباد کرنا چاہیئے اور بڑے بینک کے ہیڈ آفس اور بڑی ہول سیل مارکیٹیں پرنٹنگ پریسز وغیرہ وہاں منتقل کردے۔ اس طرح وہ علاقہ بھی آباد ہوگا اور لوگوں کا رخ بھی چندریگر روڈ، ایم اے جناح روڈ تبت سینٹر سے بھی منتقل ہوگا
— Kashif Baig (@kashif_baig) January 7, 2019
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