KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Murad Ali Shah on Tuesday issued directives for the construction of a road in addition to the beautification of areas cleared from encroachments around Empress Market and Karachi Zoo while disclosing that he had a plan to make Saddar a pedestrian area.
He was presiding over a meeting to review progress of Karachi mega schemes and conceive new schemes for the next financial year. The meeting was attended by the local government minister, P&D Chairman Mohammad Waseem, Principal Secretary to CM Sajid Jamal Abro, Finance Secretary Najam Shah, Karachi Commissioner Iftikhar Shahalwani, Local Government Special Secretary Niaz Soomro, PD Karachi Package Khalid Mansoor and other officers.
The chief minister discussed the rehabilitation of the shopkeepers and small traders affected by the removal of the encroachment from Saddar and Karachi Zoo and directed Ghani to work out a detailed plan for affected shopkeepers’ rehabilitation and submit him the same for approval.
“I want to rehabilitate the affected shopkeepers immediately by giving them stalls on a temporary basis under a short-term arrangement and in the long term, the land would be identified for establishment of a market to accommodate them,” he said while issuing directives for the preparation of short term and long-term plans.
“We will not leave any affected person unattended,” he vowed.
The chief minister has also proposed that night markets, as fashioned all over the world, could be set up in the Saddar area.
“The vendors can be adjusted in the night market from 10 pm to 3 am in Saddar,” the commissioner said as he was told to make a proposal for the purpose.
The CM directed Ghani to make the necessary arrangements for lifting the debris of the shops and structures bulldozed at Empress Market and Karachi Zoo. “I have visited Empress Market and noticed that the debris was still lying there,” he said and added that the British era market would be restored to its original shape by constructing a road and a small park around it.
