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KARACHI, Aug 31: Illegal sale and transfer of land and plots in the government's housing schemes in Sindh, specially in Karachi, was reviewed on Tuesday at a meeting held with Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim in the chair.
The chief minister made it clear that the government would not tolerate illegal sale of land and plots and duping of the people. The meeting reviewed in detail the matters relating to regularization of plots, put into abeyance by defunct Karachi Development Authority and the present city government.
The meeting was informed that some 1,495 plots of the Land Utilization department were fraudulently converted into 5,000 plots by various housing schemes, for the regularization of which the Sindh government recovered Rs250 million as difference amount.
Justice Abdul Rehman, head of the committee set up for examining such irregularities, informed the meeting that in this regard an overall amount of Rs4 billion would be recovered from the people involved.
The chief minister told the meeting that those occupying such land would be sternly dealt with, and action would also be initiated against the buyers and sellers involved in illegal land transfers.
He directed the committee members to carry out their work honestly and ensure that no injustice was done to anyone. Dr Rahim was informed that the disputed plots of the KDA numbered 680, for which offer letters were issued to the owners, out of which over a hundred owners accepted the same, and an amount of over Rs10 million was recovered from them.
Dr Rahim asked the committee members to recommend genuine cases for favourable action, besides pointing out violators. The meeting was attended, among others, by the secretary, LU Board of Revenue, Mohammed Riaz Khan, and Mr Jadoon of the Evacuee Properties department.
CM-PAGARA MEETING: Dr Rahim has said that Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has special interest in the development of Sindh, and on his directive a special development package has been prepared for Tharparkar.
"The package will not only help remove the backwardness of Tharparkar, but also benefit the whole province," he said while talking to newsmen after holding a meeting with Pir Pagara at the Kingri House on Tuesday.
He described his meeting with Mr Pagara as very useful, and said he had come to convey a special message from Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz for Pir Saheb. The chief minister said that during a telephonic conversation with the Pakistan Muslim League General Secretary Mushahid Hussain, Pir Saheb elaborated the reasons whereby he had to take the decision of leaving the united Muslim League.
However, it was the desire of the PML's central leadership that the Functional Muslim League should remain in the united Muslim League, he added. Dr Rahim said that Mushahid Hussain assured Pir Pagara that his reservations regarding reorganization of the PML and distribution of posts would be removed.
To his assurance, Pir Pagara told Mr Hussain that if the said issues were resolved, his party might consider to remain in the united Muslim League, Dr Rahim added. To a question, Dr Rahim said that as the president of the PML's Sindh Chapter, he had the authority to appoint the party office-bearers in the province.
He said that he had no differences with Imtiaz Shaikh on this count. The chief minister said that Mr Aziz had specially thanked Pir Pagara for his victory in Tharparkar by-election, because he was also supported by the Hur Jamaat. -APP
