November 21, 2008	Friday	Ziqa'ad 22, 1429

KARACHI, Nov 20: Former city nazim Niamatullah Khan has described grabbing of amenity plots in the city “under the bogey of Talibanisation” which he called a conspiracy to destroy the city’s peace and tranquillity, and urged the federal and provincial governments to take notice of the plot.

Speaking at a press conference at the Idara Noor-i-Haq along with former MPA Yunus Barai, former town nazims Shafiq-ur-Rehman Usmani, Ahmad Qasim Parekh and Farooq Niamatullah, he referred to the provincial home minister’s statement rejecting the propaganda about Talibanisation of the city, and said that the continued propaganda was a calculated move to vitiate the atmosphere of Karachi. In this regard, he pointed out that amenity plots meant for parks and other purposes were being grabbed and the confrontations linked to the land-grabbing incidents had already left as many as 10 people dead so far.

He said he never allotted an amenity plot to any individual during his tenure as city nazim but now precious amenity plots were being disposed of at throwaway prices. In this regard, he made mention of the water board’s treatment plant land and a 100-foot-road in Baldia Town.

He claimed that the Saima Bridge View project in North Nazimabad was being executed on a piece of land originally reserved for a park while certain commercial plots along Shaheed-i-Millat Road were also being sold away.

He accused the Muttahida Qaumi Movement of carving out plots from the Daman-i-Koh land in North Nazimabad’s “T” Block for sale, and recalled that the MQM had got the work on this public park stopped during his tenure.

Mr Khan warned that any turmoil in the city was bound to cast a deep impact on the country’s economy.