• Minister says 500 policemen deputed for security of Northern Bypass market
• Govt urged to provide solar energy to Karachi residents
• Over 550 residential buildings across province declared dangerous

KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly on Friday echoed with lawmakers’ concerns over poor law and order situation in the vicinity of the Northern Bypass Sacrificial Animal Market.

In his call attention notice, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) lawmaker Ali Khursheedi drew the attention of the provincial government to the incidents of robberies on the streets linked to the cattle market set up at Northern Bypass.

He said the people of the city were being robbed on those roads. “Several videos of such incidents are available on social media,” he added.

Mr Khursheedi said the provincial government had failed to control the security situation across the city in general as street crime was on the rise continuously.

“If the Sindh government is not capable of making the entire city secured for people, at least it should ensure security to the people visiting the cattle market to buy sacrificial animals,” he lamented.

In response to his call attention notice, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Kumar Chawla said that the main market of sacrificial animals in Karachi had been shifted to the Northern Bypass area from Sohrab Goth to ease traffic congestion on the Superhighway.

He said that people had to take a U-turn on the Superhighway to get back to the city from the previously located cattle market, which caused traffic jams on the highway.

Minister Chawla said that an SP, four DSPs and around 500 policemen were performing duty round the clock on the roads leading to the sacrificial animal market.

He said the Sindh government was taking all measures to ensure security of the people visiting the market.

He said the new cattle market could now be reached from two other routes instead of the Superhighway.

47,000 houses to be solarised in Karachi

Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon told the assembly that 47,000 houses of 200,000 in Karachi would be solarised in collaboration with the World Bank.

He was replying to a call attention notice by MQM-P lawmaker Rabia Khatoon who wanted to know the steps the provincial government had taken to facilitate solar systems to the people of Karachi.

She said the people of the city were victims of loadshedding and overbilling by the K-Electric and they deserved to be given relief through solar systems.

She asked the provincial government to launch solar systems in all the seven districts of the city.

He said that two solar parks were being established in districts West and Malir, adding that 1,212 acres had been allotted for the purpose in the city.

Besides, the minister said, 10 major government hospitals, including Civil Hospital Karachi, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre and Lyari General Hospital, were solarised.

He said the solar system would be provided to those who were already registered with the Benazir Income Support Programme and preference would be given to those who were living much below the poverty line.

The minister said that considering power crises in the country, the provincial government was taking measures to generate electricity through Thar Coal project as well as solar energy.

Dilapidated buildings

Earlier during Question Hour, Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah told the house that more than 550 residential buildings had been declared dangerous.

Giving a break-up, the minister said that 450 such buildings had been identified in Karachi, 80 in Hyderabad, 38 in Sukkur and eight in Rohri.

The minister said the residents had been asked to vacate the buildings, but they were reluctant to do so.

He was replying to a verbal question asked by MQM-P’s Sanjey Perwani.

In reply to a call attention notice by MQM-P lawmaker Mangla Sharma, Nasir Shah told the house that new building plans were being approved with seismic provisions.

The MQM-P member said Karachi was on three dangerous fault lines of earthquakes and asked the local government minister as to what steps had been taken by the Sindh Building Control Authority for ensuring the construction of quake-proof buildings.

Published in Dawn, June 10th, 2023