Karachi Mayor, Waseem Akhtar, alleged that Bahria Town had established a sewage line at Bagh Ibn-e-Qasim.
Karachi Mayor, speaking during Geo News’ program ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath’, Akhtar claimed that the real estate developer through a successful bid attained the right of maintenance of Bagh Ibn-e-Qasim for a 12-month period, however, during this time the developers laid an illegal sewage on the land of the park for their Bahria Icon Tower building.
He said: “There has been an agreement between KMC, Sindh government and Bahria Town. The agreement was a smoke screen to get control of the park. As soon as the agreement was signed, Bahria Town illegally took possession of the 4,000 square yard of the park’s land. The control was taken to lay a sewage pipeline which connects to the terrace court of the building.”
Waseem Akhtar claimed that according to the law a sewage line cannot be laid in any park.
“If the real estate builders had contacted us through a proper channel, we would have done planning with them. But the purpose of this initiative was just to lay the sewage line,” Akhtar said, further adding, “I am against the illegal takeover of any park even if it is by an MQM worker. Whoever has taken illegal possession of parks I will take action against them.”
Giving his reaction to the Akhtar’s claim, chairman Bahria Town Malik Riaz said that no sewage line was laid for icon tower.
In his statement, he said that even if an inch of illegal possession is proven, he will demolish the 62-storey tower.
“The purpose of sewage line built in the park was to drain out rainwater from a nearby underpass,” Riaz claimed.
