KARACHI: City Nazim, CM’s aide at odds over cabins issue
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, Dec 1: City Nazim Naimatullah Khan and Adviser to the CM on Local Government Waseem Akhtar are at loggerheads with each other over the removal of cabins placed in a raw along the footpaths of Karimabad.
On the orders of the Chief Controller of Karachi Building Control Authority (KBCA) Brig (r) A. S. Nasir, notices have been served on the owners of these cabins asking them to remove the cabins by Dec 3 voluntarily or risk their removal/demolition by KBCA squad.
The orders were issued on an initiative by Mr Waseem Akhtar who had cited some serious problems relating to a smooth flow of traffic on the adjacent roads and the hardship faced by shoppers and pedestrians who had to pass through the footpaths.
The City Nazim has taken the KBCA notices as ‘uncalled for intervention’ in the affairs of the city government and ‘a violation of the relevant rules and regulations’.
Naimatullah Khan has issued show-cause notice to the KBCA and, in a letter addressed to DCO Mir Hussain Ali, questioned the KBCA’s authority to remove the cabins. He has contended that the CM’s adviser ought to approach him in this regard. “This is a gross interference in the city government’s affairs.”
The Nazim pointed out that protest demonstrations were held outside his house late Sunday and again on Monday.
Taking a serious notice of the KBCA move prompted by the provincial adviser’s initiative, the Nazim said: “If anyone wants to become City Nazim, he should wait for his turn.” The authority to remove the cabins rested with no other functionary but the Town Nazim, he declared, and made it clear that the KBCA or any other government department possessed such powers.
Mr Khan said if the adviser disagreed to his views on any issue, he should meet him (City Nazim) sort out the problems instead of issuing instructions to various departments. The adviser, he added, was not supposed to issue orders directly to any department.
Talking to Dawn, Mr Waseem Akhtar said that he had issued the instructions to the KBCA following complaints by the affected shopkeepers and general public who had brought cases of looting to his knowledge. The cases pertained to snatching of purses, mobile phones, etc., on the eve of Eid, he said.
Mr Akhtar insisted that the city government was bound to work within the framework of the provincial government. He vowed to continue exercising his powers to keep a check on any illegal move.
He revealed that he had written to the City Nazim, Gulberg Town Nazim, DCO and TMO before asking the KBCA chief to look into the illegal placement of cabins. However, he added, the City Nazim did not respond to his letter, though the DCO and TMO replied that the decisions had been taken without their consent.
Earlier, he said, the matter was discussed at a meeting with governor and the participants included City Nazim, DCO, ACS, and KBCA chief besides him (the adviser). The City Nazim kept silent but all the others favoured removal of the cabins.
On his part, the KBCA chief said that following a decision to serve notices on the cabin-holders, he had sought City Nazim’s views with reference to the meeting with the governor. However, he told Dawn, the Nazim did not respond to the letter 10 days on. Eventually, the adviser’s directives were implemented and notices were served, he added.
Brig Nasir revealed that he had received a letter informing him that Justice Sabihuddin Ahmad and Justice S. Ali Aslam Jafri of Sindh High Court, on a constitutional petition filed by some cabin-holders, had granted stay order to the petitioners, fixing Dec 9 as date for the hearing.
