Authorities fail to retrieve govt flats from illegal occupants

Allotted to Sindh Secretariat officers and Karsaz martyrs

KARACHI: The Sindh government has failed to get full possession of the 488 apartments, worth billions of rupees, bought from the Pakistan Housing Authority in Landhi. The apartments, allotted to the Karsaz blast martyrs and officers of the Sindh Secretariat, are illegally occupied by persons who have also caused damages to the flats. The services and general administration department has now sought financial and administrative assistance from the relevant department to evict the illegal occupants and renovate the flats.

The Sindh government had purchased 488 flats near the Landhi railway station in 2005. These flats were meant to be allotted to officials and staff of the Sindh Secretariat. In 2016, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) led provincial government allotted 155 of these flats to the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Housing Cell, which later allotted the same to families of victims who were martyred in the Karsaaz blasts of 2007. Out of the remaining 333 flats, 309 were to be allotted to Grade 1 to 16 officers of the Sindh Secretariat and 20 were intended for Grade 17 and 18 officers.

Despite the passage of 13 years, the Sindh government has failed to retrieve the flats from illegal occupants.

The services and general administration department has the possession of 209 flats but at least 124 government flats are still illegally occupied. Some of the flats were given on rent by influential people who were occupying them illegally.

The occupants have caused damages which include the removal of doors and windows of the flats.

The services and general administration department intends to write a letter to Malir district administration in this regard and has sought the government's assistance to retrieve the flats. According to the department, funds are needed for repairs and renovation before they can be handed to Sindh Secretariat officials.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 2^nd, 2019.