Will prefer stepping down instead of razing homes in Karachi: Saeed Ghani

Supreme Court issues contempt notice to local govt minister over his remarks against anti-encroachment drive

KARACHI: Sindh Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani said on Thursday that he would resign from his post instead of demolishing residential buildings and homes in Karachi.

Ghani's statement comes hours after the Supreme Court, during a hearing at Karachi registry, dismissed the defence secretary’s report on razing illegal constructions on military lands and issued a contempt of court notice to the minister over his statements against anti-encroachment operation in Sindh.

During the same hearing, the apex court also reprimanded Karachi Mayor Waseem Akhtar over his remarks that he will not demolish buildings in the port city.

Commenting on the contempt notice, Ghani said that due to the anti-encroachment drive in the provincial capital hundreds of people had already become unemployed and the government does not have enough resources to compensate everyone.



"I have always respected the court and will continue to appear before it whenever I was summoned," he added.

“If the Supreme Court compels me to raze houses, I would prefer to step down from the post and will submit my resignation with the chief minister [Murad Ali Shah]”, remarked Ghani while speaking to media outside the Sindh Assembly.

The apex court on January 24, ordered razing of all the marriage halls built on Karachi’s Shahrae Faisal and Rashid Minhas Road, besides cinemas, plazas and other commercial establishments built on military lands in a bid to restore the provincial capital to its original condition.

The Sindh minister had earlier expressed reservations over the order and said buildings in Karachi can not be demolished due to the lack of resources.