KARACHI: Steps being taken to check street crimes: Ibad
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, Oct 10: Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad has said that concrete steps are being taken to control street crimes and some arrests have been made and the situation has already started improving.
The governor made this observation in response to a question at an Iftar party hosted by him for senior journalists and editors by adviser to chief minister on information and archives Salahuddin Haider at the Karachi Gymkhana on Tuesday.
He said that the government was seized with the situation and was taking necessary steps to check anti-social elements.
When his attention was drawn towards controversy over ownership of the twin islands Bundal and Buddo, located close to the Port Qasim where reportedly 12000 acres land had been allotted to a Gulf-based construction firm to build a new modern city, he said all efforts of the government are to bring investment which will not only benefit the country but also to the province by generating employment opportunities and economic activities.
However, as far as the controversy over its ownership was concerned, this could be sorted out within the house through mutual consultations.
Earlier, Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim, who also graced the occasion but left before Iftar, in an informal talk with a group of journalists said that according to the revenue record both the islands were the property of the Sindh government and all those were handed to the Prot Qasim Authority for its operational limits as the land was handed to Pakistan Railways. But, as the Railway had decided to dispose of the land which was not in its use, its 50 per cent proceeds would be transferred to the Sindh government.
He said the PQA had not so far produced any documents of its ownership. However, he said the government was not opposed to development of the islands which would bring investment. He said fishermen would also be prosperous with the development of the islands as they would be able to get employment.
He did not agree with a questioner that the development of the islands would in any way would affect the fishermen.
The chief minister said that there were people who want to take political mileage from every issue. As far as problems of the fishermen were concerned, he would pay attention to it after Eid.
In reply to a question, he said coming year was the year of the elections and all preparations were made to hold the general elections on time. But if some situation was created, the elections could also be held before.
He said not only PPP men but their leaders were also coming to join the government and in the coming elections PML-Q would give 200 per cent results.
Regarding start of sugarcane crushing season in Sindh, he said now when sugar mills had started their operation, the growers were not supplying sugarcane and if this situation did not change, how he could pressure the sugar mills to start crushing season.
The growers should start supplying sugarcane to the mills immediately so that the mills could start producing sugar.
He was asked if the suggestion of carving smaller provinces was moved for consideration at the last Inter-Provincial Coordination Committee, he said he had heard that Federal Minister Salim Saifullah had talked about it. However, he was quite clear on the issue that the people of Sindh did not favour the idea as Sindh province was not such a huge province that there would be an administrative problem.
