Through an Ordinance, a commission will be set up to determine which non-commercial structures must not be demolished.
Karachi
Administrator KMC, Sindh Government’s Spokesman and CM’s Advisor on Law Barrister Murtuza Wahab on Wednesday said that the provincial government has decided to stop anti-encroachment operation across Sindh.
“The anti-encroachment operation from Karachi to Kashmore will be temporarily suspended. The Sindh government has prepared an ordinance to stop the anti-encroachment operation. A commission will be set up under the ordinance to determine which non-commercial structures must not be demolished,” he said this while addressing a news conference in Sindh Assembly Committee Room here.
He said that the retired judge will be the head of the commission and it will decide whether to regularize the construction or not.
He told that the government drafted the ordinance and sent to the Governor. “The Sindh Governor will approve the draft of the ordinance,” he hoped and added the ordinance was made purely in the interest of the citizens. He said that the law is the same in Sindh as it is in Punjab but only a paragraph was added that the anti-encroachment drive should be stopped immediately until the committee decides.
Murtaza Wahab said that they would also get the ordinance passed by the assembly.
“Unfortunately the commercialization took place since long. It started from the tenure of Naimatullah Khan as City Nazim. When the citizens approached the courts against it (commercialization), it was decided (by the court) that it is the prerogative of the city government,” he added.
“The vast areas have been commercialized, the consequences of which are being felt today,” he said.
He said this problem has spread all over Pakistan. “Societies have been formed on agricultural land in Islamabad. It is asked that the building (Nasla Tower) is being demolished but why it is not happening in Bani Gala in Islamabad,” he added.
He said that the PPP passed a resolution in the Sindh Assembly on the issue of anti-encroachment drive and urged the need of legislation so as to reduce miseries of the citizens. He said that those who held press conferences on Nasla Tower issue had ‘escaped’ from the Sindh Assembly.
To a query,, he said that Sindh government is not allotting land for Nasla Tower as Sindhi Muslim Society was not in its administrative control. “This property was commercialized in 2007 and at that time Mustafa Kamal was the City Nazim,” he said.
After commercialization, the building control authority gave permission for construction. The land actually belonged to KMC and in 2000 the court ruled that the land was given to Sindhi Muslim Society in exchange for money.
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Sindh Courier
