KARACHI, Feb 20: The Gutter Baghicha land issue was taken up again when the City Council resumed its session on Tuesday. Complete chaos prevailed in the house as the treasury and opposition accused each other of wrong doing as the Opposition tried to convince the house to take up the issue.
Treasury leader Masood Mehmud slammed the Opposition for creating unnecessary fuss to achieve political motives and rejected charges of bungling in the land, saying that these allotments were made when the PPP was in power.
There was an uproar in the house when the Opposition members led by group leaders Saeed Ghani and Rafique Ahmed stood up to counter the arguments of Mr Mehmood. They levelled serious charges of land-grabbing against each other.
Presiding officer Naib Nazim Nasreen Jalil tried to convince both sides of the divide to maintain decorum in the house and reminded the members about the issue’s legal implications as the matter was still in court. She invited the Opposition leaders to discuss the matter in her chamber.
She repeatedly urged the members to take up the normal business agenda of the house. Despite her repeated warnings, the Opposition refused and insisted that the Gutter Baghicha issue be debated, alleging that there were reports that the government was planning to withdraw corruption cases against the officials who were allegedly involved in the land scam. The Opposition members then staged a walkout by shouting and raising slogans against the treasury members.
Treasury leader Asif Siddiqui condemned the Opposition’s attitude, saying that it had boycotted the session when relief measures for public welfare were being discussed in the house.
In the absence of Opposition, the house adopted 12 resolutions either unanimously or by majority votes.
A resolution expressed its concern over the misuse of official accommodation. The resolution which was adopted unanimously, noted with serious concern that the houses and rest houses meant for city government officials were not being misused. The house urged the government to get those houses vacated from officials no longer serving the city government or were transferred to other departments so that the same could be allotted to CDGK officials.
A resolution to allow free treatment in General Ward and Trama Centre of Abassi Shaheed Hospital was also approved. Besides uniform service charges was also proposed in different CDGK hospitals and health centres. A resolution enhancing the rents of shops and stalls of the estate department was also approved.
OPPOSITION: Opposition leaders Saeed Ghani and Rafiq Ahmed in the presence of other group leaders held a joint press conference where they termed the attitude of the presiding officer as baised.
They reiterated their stance that the amenity plot could not be used for any other purposes, saying the Gutter
Baghicha land was an amenity plot and no one had any right to convert it for any purpose.
They recalled the land had been declared as a national park and a gift to the people of Karachi by the President and warned that any attempt to convert it for any other purpose would be met with resistance.
Mr Rafiq Ahmed also alleged that the government had made an underhand deal of the Kidney Hill Park land, alleging that attempts were being made to convert all amenity plots for commercial purposes.
Treasury leaders Asif Siddique and Masood Mehmood denied the opposition charges saying that allotmentsmade in the KMC officers housing society were legal.
