The City District Government Karachi (CDGK), in protest against, what it said, sidelining it in rehabilitation process of the arson-hit markets by the provincial government, has halted all its ongoing reconstruction and rehabilitation work at Boulton and other affected markets.
CDGK, which has completed renovation of at least 16 arson-affected buildings, would now focus on its own projects, City Nazim, Syed Mustafa Kamal told Business Recorder on Monday. "We have done what we had aimed at," he said adding, "now it is up to the Sindh Government, as it is leading the rehabilitation process."
"As the provincial government and Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) have taken up the task, and disbursing the compensation amount allocated by the federal government, now the CDGK has nothing to do with the process," Kamal added.
He said that CDGK was not taken on board in the process despite the fact that it was taking part in the rehabilitation process and completed most of the work in a record period. Kamal said CDGK had nothing to do with the committees formed by the KCCI or Siraj Qasim Teli, who had been made in charge of all the affairs. The affectees should now contact the Businessmen Group's leader for any kind of assistance, he added.
He, however, denied that the closure of operation was in protest against the provincial government's move of sidelining the city government. According to sources, CDGK has stopped the works on the affected building after realising that the federal and provincial government had deliberately sidelined it in the process.
CDGK stopped the work of reconstruction and rehabilitation of the affected markets in protest, as it did not receive any supports both from the federal and provincial governments, they added. The relief and rehabilitation operation being carried out by Sindh Government in collaboration with KCCI, is likely to face hardships and delay, as they would have to restart the whole process.