A member of the Sindh Assembly on Thursday expressed concerns over grabbing of private lands and plots in the city, accusing the political parties of backing the land grabbers. During the provincial assembly session, chaired by Speaker Nisar Khuhro, an outspoken member of Pakistan People's Party (PPP), Jam Tamachi, expressed concerns over the growing trend of forceful occupation of private plots and lands in the metropolis.
He alleged the political parties of backing the gangs, who were involved in grabbing of private as well as government lands. However, the Sindh Assembly Speaker rejected the allegation saying there was no evidence that any political party was supporting the gangs. Replying to questions pertaining to Sindh Revenue Department, Jam Mehtab Hussain Dahar, said the provincial government had promulgated the Sindh Public Property (Removal of Encroachment) Act 2010, to vacate public properties from the encroachers.
He informed that an anti-encroachment team was constituted, headed by SP besides revenue officials were also designated in each district of the province. "The team is handling the issue of land grabbing in Karachi effectively under the Act," the minister claimed.
To another question, he said the Sindh government had planned to develop a new city, Zulfiqarabad, in the coastal area of Thatta district. "For this purpose Zulfiqarabad Development Authority has been established through an Ordinance promulgated on July 16, 2010," he added.
Dahar said the government was yet to allocate land in the proposed city to local or international entity for development of the infrastructure. He said the process of planning and development would only begin after the selection of a developer by the SLMDC.
He informed the house that the department had either settled or disposed of about 664 land-related cases from January 2009 to December 2010 in Thatta district. In Hyderabad and Sukkur districts, some 58 and 237 cases had been settled or disposed of respectively during the same period, he added.
The minister further said that the Chief Minister had formed a committee for regularisation of Hyderabad district. The committee would be chaired by MNA Amir Ali Shah Jamote. Sindh fisheries minister Zahid Ali Bhurgari and Sabhago Khan Jatoi would be members of the committee, he added.
Meantime, MQM's lawmaker, Syed Sardar Ahmad, said that under the law, the state's land could not be sold or transferred to any individual or company except for charity purposes. On a point of order, a lady lawmaker of Pakistan Muslim League Functional (PML-F), Syeda Marvi Rashdi, urged the speaker to hear her privilege motion as the concerned committee had been inactive since its formation.