KARACHI - The Sindh government had decided to stop anti-encroachment operation across the province by enacting an ordinance. Administrator Karachi Barrister Murtuza Wahab revealed that while addressing a presser here at Sindh Assembly on Wednesday. He said that a commission, headed by a retired judge, will be set up under the ordinance to determine which non-commercial structures must regularised.
“The anti-encroachment operation from Karachi to Kashmore will be temporarily suspended until the commission decides. The Sindh government has prepared an ordinance to stop anti-encroachment drive and the same has been sent to Sindh Governor (for promulgation),” Wahab who is also the Sindh government spokesperson and CM advisor on law said.
He said that the Pakistan People’s Party had passed a resolution in the Sindh Assembly in which it urged the need of legislation for stop the citizens’ houses from being razed. He said that those who held press conferences on Nasla Tower issue had ‘escaped’ from the Sindh Assembly and the PPP got it passed with majority of votes.
Barrister Wahab said that there was a same law in Punjab but only a paragraph—to halt the anti-encroachment drive immediately until the committee decided—was incorporated in the ordinance.
He said that they would also get the ordinance passed by the provincial assembly. He said that the retired judge will be heading the commission and it will decide whether to regularise the construction or not.
“The Sindh governor will approve the draft and promulgate the ordinance,” he hoped and added the ordinance was made purely in the ‘interest’ of the citizens. He also expressed the hope that opposition would not do politics and resort to criticism. He added that the Sindh government had said more than once that it was the duty of the government to protect the lives and properties of the citizens and that was why laws were being made.
“The basic purpose of law (ordinance) is to protect fundamental rights of the people. I hope we will be allowed to work so that the people’s lives and properties be protected within the ambit of the law,” the administrator said.
He was of the view that after the promulgation, the province would at least have a system for regularising buildings and establishments.
He said that action should be taken against the establishments on drains but such buildings which had been constructed must not be razed. In a reply, he said that Sindh government was not allotting land for Nasla Tower as Sindhi Muslim Society was not its administrative control. “The property was commercialised in 2007 at that time when PSP Chairman Syed Mustafa Kamal was the City Nazim,” he said. After commercialisation, the Sindh Building Control Authority gave permission for the construction.