KARACHI: Sindh govt urged not to raze old settlements: PA session
By Habib Khan Ghori
KARACHI, May 10: The Sindh Assembly on Tuesday recommended unanimously to the Sindh government not to demolish sanctioned and unsanctioned old settlements of goths and villages throughout the province. The assembly also condemned publication of a cartoon in the Washington Times and asked the Sindh government to approach the federal government to take up the issue with the US government.
The two resolutions were jointly moved by members of the treasury and opposition sides and adopted unanimously by the House with Speaker Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah in the chair.
In the first resolution, jointly moved by Makhdoom Jameeluz Zaman and Maulana Omar Sadiq, the Sindh government has been asked that no sanctioned and unsanctioned old goths/villages having vested rights in law should be demolished in Sindh.
Home Minister Rauf Siddiqui pointed out that no one could think of demolishing the sanctioned Goths. However, he said, in and around Karachi outskirts encroachments had been made by land mafia. In this connection, he particularly referred to Gadap Town, Malir, Gulistan-i-Jauhar and Baldia Town areas, where the land grabber mafia had occupied thousands of acres and had taken injunction from courts to gain time for maintaining their occupation on the encroached lands in which many officials were also hand in glove with them.
The minister said that the operation against such land grabbers would continue and the old settlements would remain in place.
Mr Rafique Engineer drew attention towards operation by the Malir Development Authority in Bahadur Khan Goth which was an old settlement. Senior minister Syed Sardar Ahmad assured that those settlements which were regularized under Gothabad Scheme would not be demolished.
On Tuesday, which was private members day, among other business discharged during three-hour session with a break for Zohr prayers, nine private bills were introduced, and leave was granted to introduce another private bill to amend the Sindh Assembly members (salaries and allowances) Act, 1974 whose notice was given by Muhammad Hussain Khan pertaining to provision of medical cover to parents of MPAs, who are dependent on them.
The motion, moved by Mukesh Kumar, regarding allocation of annual funds for repair and maintenance of worship places was adopted with a five members committee for the purpose. The committee comprises of Mukesh Kumar, Daya Ram, Poonjomal, Eshwar Lal and Rajveer Singh.
The discussion on the admissibility of adjournment motion moved by Nisar Ahmad Khuhro remained inconclusive as the allotted half-an-hour was lapsed in initial arguments by the mover and Law Minister Iftikhar Chaudhry. The chair put off the discussion for tomorrow.
Mr Khuhro through his adjournment motion wanted to deliberate on the issue of arrests of Sindh PPP-P workers and leaders including women MPAs in Punjab where they were arrested, humiliated and maltreated on the eve of April 16th.
Speaking on the admissibility of the motion, he questioned the role of Punjab police which subjected all those to torture who had identity cards of Sindh. They searched the people and threw them in locked up. “When the country is one and we claim to be democratic, why restriction was imposed on the movement of people from one province to the other and humiliated elected representatives including women MPAs,” he said adding that this is violation of Article 15 of the Constitution.
He said that those arrested for violation of Section 144 were granted bail but the next day their bail was cancelled.
Law Minister Iftikhar Chaudhry opposed it saying that it was not maintainable. He said that there was no ban on the movement but respect for the law was essential, if there would be violation, the law would come into action. He said if there was no democracy, how they were sitting in the House. He said that the incident had taken place in Punjab which was beyond the jurisdiction of Sindh. However, if anyone considered that accesses had been committed, the courts were free and the aggrieved could take up the matter to the courts to seek relief.
The minister said that according to their information, 416 persons were arrested. Of them 148 were challaned in the ATC court whose cases were withdrawn by the Punjab government, 268 were bailed out by the courts. Besides, as the matter was in the court, it was subjudice.
Rafique Engineer in an emotional speech termed the action of Punjab police a part of the conspiracy to break the federation. But, he claimed that the PPP would foil all such designs.
Mustafa Kamal was on his feet when the speaker put off further discussion on the adjournment till tomorrow.
The private bills which were introduced in the House pertained to protection of women rights; proper care to senior citizens; legislation for children in need of care and protection; two identical bills on improvement and maintenance of better health delivery system of public hospitals; amendment to the Dow University of Health Sciences Act 2004; amendment to the Sindh Building Control Ordinance 1979; provision for free medical, engineering and business education to deserving students; and ban on the installation and use of pressure horns, hooters and flash lights by all vehicles.
