Karachi (7 January 2026): Founder Chairman of Saylani Welfare International Trust, Maulana Bashir Farooq Qadri, has expressed serious concern over the ongoing anti-encroachment drive across Karachi, stating that the campaign has become a major cause of unemployment. He appealed to the Government of Sindh, the Karachi Commissioner, and the district administration to establish local zones in every area or allocate space to the affected individuals in regional savings bazaars, following the model adopted by the Government of Punjab.
In a statement, he said that in this era of inflation and unemployment, countless families have been forced into hunger and deprivation. He criticized the relevant municipal staff for confiscating pushcarts and counters worth fifty thousand rupees each from street vendors and dumping them into garbage heaps, whereas these should be returned after imposing a nominal fine. He emphasized that street vendors are poor, and even a minor loss can push them into severe hardship.
Maulana Bashir Farooq Qadri said that if the Government of Punjab can manage this issue in an organized manner by establishing area-wise zones, there is no reason why the city administration here cannot do the same. He warned that rising unemployment increases the risk of higher crime rates in the city, as people either resort to taking up weapons or are driven towards suicide. Therefore, it is essential to protect pushcart vendors, stallholders, and hawkers from becoming unemployed.
