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KARACHI, Jan 21: Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad has said that steps must be taken to check land grabbers and encroachers. Presiding over a high-level meeting at the Governor House here on Wednesday , he said land grabbers and encroachers not only defaced the city but also created hurdles in the way of provision of facilities to the people.
He told the officials of the provincial and the district governments, town Nazims and police to take joint and effective action in that respect and use section 144 and other laws to prevent encroachment.
Dr Ibad said that land up to 200 yards on either side of the Northern Bypass should not be allotted and asked the city government and the provincial Board of Revenue to issue a notification in that regard.
The governor directed the Anti-Encroachment Task Force headed by Additional Chief Secretary Salim Khan to immediately chalk out a strategy and ensure coordination among the organizations concerned.
The meeting was attended by Adviser to Sindh Chief Minister on Local Bodies, Wasim Akhtar, Sindh Chief Secretary Dr Mutawakkil Kazi, Nazim Naimatullah Khan and other officials.
LG SYSTEM: The governor has said the government is taking all possible steps for strengthening the local government system in Sindh. "Local governments are a primary institution of the democratic system and a source for providing basic facilities to the people at the grassroots level", he said talking to the participants of a study group of the National Defence College led by Lt-Gen Tariq Waseem Ghazi at the Governor House on Tuesday.
The governor said the new system was in its initial stage and therefore sometimes problems occurred in the practical field. "Check and balance is an important part of the overall system and should not, in any way, be a cause of dispute between the provincial and the district governments", he said.
He said President Musharraf had provided the direction for the progress, prosperity and wellbeing of the country and "our efforts are to ensure continuation of the journey in that direction."
The governor said that despite limited resources and various challenges, law and order in the province had improved by at least 40 per cent. "This has been done because of improved intelligence network, restoration of people's confidence in police, increased interaction and coordination between the law enforcing agencies and their concerted efforts", he said and added that the government was making serious efforts to improve the image of police.
Lt-General Tariq Waseem Ghaz said the province was confronted with various political, social and economic problems, but the young and inexperienced leadership of the province had been delivering the goods and Dr Ibad, through understanding and accommodation, was successfully working with provincial cabinet. He was hopeful that the young leadership of Sindh would give better results on socio-economic fronts.
Sindh ministers Syed Sardar Ahmed, Muhammad Usman Malkani, Advisor to CMAftab Ahmed Shaikh, Advisor on Local Bodies Waseem Akhtar, Chief Secretary Dr Mutawakkil Kazi, IG Syed Kamal Shah and others were present in the meeting.-APP
