KARACHI, Nov 16 (APP):The joint opposition in Sindh, Tuesday, rejected a resolution presented by treasury benches in the provincial assembly for regularization of encroachments and illegal construction in Karachi alleging that PPP government wanted to legitimize land grabbing and corruption done during their 14 year tenure.
Leader of the Opposition in Sindh Assembly, Haleem Adil Sheikh while talking to media persons at Sindh Assembly Building along with MQM-P parliamentary leader Muhammad Hussain, Parliamentary leader of PTI Bilal Abdul Gaffar and other MPAs also demanded to set up a high powered judicial commission for looking into encroachments over thousands of acres of state land and wide scale illegal construction in Sindh particularly in its capital Karachi.
They said that opposition parties in Sindh would not allow PPP to use the assembly for serving their personal interest and nefarious designs. Haleem Adil Sheikh said that they will not allow PPP government’s efforts to legitimize corruption and land grabbing of 14 years in the name of Nasla Tower and Sindh government should pay compensation to the victims of Nasla Tower.
He said that opposition wanted discussion in the assembly on murders of Nazim Jokhio, Fehmida Sial and Zakia Shahid and a resolution in the regard was also submitted but they were not allowed to table the resolution on the floor because PPP MPAs were involved in brutal killings. The opposition had already submitted resolution about Nasla Tower but instead of making it a part of the proceeding, government brought a new resolution in the name of Nesla Tower which did not even mention the Nasla tower.
It was government’s move that aimed at regularizing encroachment on 3.9 million acres of state land and counterfeit documentation. Opposition in its resolution demanded the arrest of officers involved in fake documentation, seizure of their bank accounts and assets as well as recovery of compensation amount from them, Haleem stated.
He alleged that 2.8 million acres of forest land in Sindh were under illegal occupation of influential people of PPP while over one million acres of land was occupied following martyrdom of Benazir Bhutto through fake papers. Only in Karachi 89,000 acres were under illegal occupation, he added. Haleem said that allotted plots of Teesar town scheme were sold illegally to a private company and PPP wanted to grab 8000 acres land of Karachi, Malir and Liyari Development Authorities. All the evidence and fake documents were available with him, Haleem claimed.
On the order of the Chief Minister, a letter has been issued on November 13 to demolish Khadim Solangi Goth, he said and added that the Supreme Court has not ordered demolition of the village but PPP wanted to occupy this land. The opposition leader said that there was dictatorship in Sindh Assembly and democratic norms were being undermined as government was bulldozing legislation by the opposition while floor of the house was being used for supporting their illegal occupations and corruption.
Sindh government did not have land to provide alternate place to affected families of Gujjar Nala and Nasla Tower but millions of acres of land were allotted to Bahria Town and other political people, he noted. In Zulfikar Bhutto’s time some pieces of land in Nawabshah were allotted to poor farmers but Zardari group was occupying that land as well.
Haleem demanded to set up a high-powered judicial commission in Sindh to look into cases of land grabbing and forged documents. Replying to a query Haleem said that PTI believes in strengthening institutions and it would also strengthen institutions in Sindh to prevent land grabbing, corruption and misuse of state institutions. Muhammad Hussain of Muttahida Qoumi Movement Pakistan said speaker’s authority was used to block opposition’s business in previous session of the assembly and same was repeated in the current session as well.
He said that opposition tabled adjournment motion on killing of Nazim Jokhio, Fahmida Sial and Zakia Shahid and resolution to pay homage to Dr. Qadeer Khan but those were blocked. The treasury benches bulldozed the private member’s day proceedings and then tabled and got a resolution approved in hurry without allowing leader of the opposition and other members to speak While rejecting the government’s resolution Muhammad Hussain termed it illegal, unconstitutional and contradictory to the orders of Supreme Court.
He said that relevant authorities issued counterfeit NOCs and approvals and people who bought the plots and housing units had to suffer. The federal government has provided funds to Sindh government for compensating Gujjar Nala affected families, he said adding that If only they had sympathy for the victims they did not hesitate to provide rent of two years and alternative land to displaced families.
PTI’s parliamentary leader in Sindh Assembly Balal Abdul Gaffar said that government did not considered killing of innocent people by influential lords important and attached importance to squatters and corrupt officers. “PPP tried to grant NRO to land grabbers today,” he remarked saying that then Local Government minister assured the house of action against land grabbing and illegal constructions two years ago and he was also provided with relevant details but no action was taken in the regard and construction of illegal structures was continue so far.
Bilal also termed PPP as an obstacle in initiating subsidized housing projects under PM’ Apna Ghar project and said that a number of housing projects were under construction for providing shelter to deserving families in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but the same was not possible in Sindh due to corrupt provincial agencies.
