He said that the people involved in land grabbing will be awarded harsh punishments which include imprisonment up to six years and a fine equal to the value of the land they took over. Another goal of the city government is to curb police involvement with land mafia.
At a press conference at the Karachi Press Club, Sheikh went on to discuss several issues. For one, he said that effective security during Muharram was the first priority of the city government. They were coordinating with security agencies. “The city’s security requires full coordination among all departments,” he said. “The previous system (local bodies system) lacked coordination.” His office received a positive response from people and especially religious scholars, he added.
The commissioner said that the second priority of his office was controlling high prices in a “scientific” way. “My office will set the prices in a scientific way in order to ensure the rights of consumers in the market,” he said. “We have issued warnings and will soon take action against the violators.”
Sheikh also announced that soon Section 144 will be imposed to prevent burning and illegal dumping of garbage. “I want people to own the city and fulfil their responsibilities as citizens of Karachi,” said the commissioner. “I want them to stop people when they see them damaging public property.”
He also commented on the drawbacks of both the commissionerate and local bodies systems. According to him, the system of 1979 was not perfect. When it was replaced by the local bodies system, people expected a change but the system was confusing. “The commissionerate system remained in the hearts of the people and they knew where to go to get their problems solved,” he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 26th, 2011.
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