KARACHI: Amidst the protest by the road-side vendors and small merchants, an anti-encroachment drive in Karachi which was threatening to bulldoze the historic Urdu bazar has been postponed.
Implementing upon the orders of the Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) had given a three-day deadline to the illegal vendors to vacate the government property before January 8 midnight.
Concerned merchants were given a three-day deadline on January 4th to vacate the space.
However, following the heated protests, the drive was postponed and a four-member committee comprising of the estate office, municipal services and two representatives of the book bazaar was formed to solve the matter.
The final decision is expected on Thursday.
Earlier this week, roadside vendors of the Urdu Bazaar demonstrated a protest against the anti-encroachment drive. Led by the Urdu Bazaar market Association and the Booksellers Association, the protesters highlighted that the crowded Urdu Bazaar was not just a group of businesses but a cultural heritage of the metropolis.