KARACHI, Sept 1: City Nazim Naimatullah Khan has observed that land grabbing in the metropolis had become a thriving business with those involved minting millions by selling the state land.

However, he added, the CDGK had been taking action such elements through anti-encroachment campaigns to retrieve the illegally occupied portions schools, parks and playgrounds.

Mr Khan was talking to a 16-member delegation of nazims and officials belonging to Bunair district, NWFP. Led by Bunair Town Nazim Adalat Khan, the delegation is currently on a study tour of Karachi.

The city nazim pointed out that Karachi belonged to all Pakistanis and every countryman had the right to come over here. He told the delegation that more than half the city's population was living in more than 538 kutchi abadis. He said there was a need for launching housing schemes for shelter less people.

Replying to queries by the visitors, the city nazim said that Public Safety Commission had not yet been established in Karachi. In a different context, he remarked that city nazim did not have powers to transfer even an SHO.

In order to bring about an improvement in law and order, it is essential that police department be given under the control of city nazim. He said there was a need for removing lacunas in certain provisions of the Sindh Local Government Ordinance (SLGO).

Naimatullah Khan told the delegation that the City Council was an authoritative body. Regarding women representatives, he said that women councillors had been performing beyond expectation. They represented Pakistan in Thailand and other countries without abandoning their veil, he added.

Mr Khan said that UC nazims had been given Rs3.5 million in the first year of devolution and Rs6.4 million in the following two years for development schemes in their respective areas.

The city nazim noted with regret that our society was infested with corruption and there appeared to dearth of honest officers. Speaking on the occasion, EDO Works Shoaib Siddiqui and EDO Investment Promotion and Enterprise Raisuddin Paracha briefed the delegation about various matters related to the CDGK.

Deeply appreciating the services of Naimatullah Khan, chief of the delegation Adalat Khan presented him traditional cap of NWFP as a souvenir. The city nazim reciprocated the gesture by presenting a shield to the delegation. -APP