December 12, 2008	Friday	Zilhaj 13, 1429

KARACHI, Dec 11: Karachi Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal took heart from the fact that no untoward incident was reported from across the metropolis over the collection of hides of sacrificial animals by activists of political and religious parties over the Eid holidays and told a press conference on Thursday that it augured well for the city’s peace and progress.

He thanked leaders of the Awami National Party, Jamaat-i-Islami, Sunni Tehreek, Pakistan People’s Party, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam and other parties for their role in maintaining peace in the city.

He said that in the wake of tension and strife that prevailed in some parts of the city shortly before Eid, there were serious apprehensions of trouble during collection of hides by activists of political and religious parties.

But, he conceded, coordinated efforts of political and religious parties bore fruit and no untoward incident took place.

The nazim also congratulated Sindh Home Minister Dr Zulfikar Mirza and the director-general of the Rangers for the measures taken by them for ensuring peace during the Eid holidays.

Lauding the role of Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain in the maintenance of peace in the city, the nazim said the peace committees formed in the wake of Mr Hussain’s recent speech, through which he had “literally begged the political partiers to help restore peace and brotherhood,” had greatly helped in maintaining peace in the city during Eidul Azha.

Commenting on the coordinated efforts made by Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad in ensuring peace in the city during the Eid holidays, the nazim said the governor’s easy accessibility to the citizens and his close liaison with political parties also paved the way for ensuring the peaceful atmosphere in the city.

Offal removal

Referring to the measures taken by the city government for lifting and disposing of the offal of sacrificial animals from the city during the three days of Eidul Azha, the nazim said the special offal removal and disposal operation launched in collaboration with the town municipal administrations of the city proved a great success.

Describing the lifting and disposal of offal from the mega-city, in which over one million animals were sacrificed in the three days, “a Herculean task,” Mr Kamal gave the credit for the successful operation to the administrations and workers of the CDGK, town and union councils, “who not only worked round-the-clock for prompt removal of offal from the jurisdictions of the CDGK and towns, but also buried it quickly at the eight landfill sites.”

Offal had been buried properly so that it did not attract scavenging birds, which usually posed a threat to aircraft flying nearby, the nazim said, recalling that a number of planes had been damaged by the birds in the past near the landfill sites.

In this regard, he said a team of the Pakistan Air Force, who visited the landfill sites, had expressed their satisfaction over the burying of offal.

At the outset, the nazim commended the role of the CDGK’s executive district officer Masood Alam, the information technology department’s deputy district officer Atif and DDO Rasheed Jamal in making the offal lifting and dumping operation a success, and said that it was because of their efforts that he had asked them to remain present with him at the news conference.

He said the CDGK workers also removed offal from the areas falling in the limits of the Faisal and Clifton cantonment boards on receiving complaints from residents of both cantonment areas.