Foreign missions encroaching public land, alleges MPA

Such extensions were made for security, but can a policy be framed to discourage the practice, asks GDA MPA

KARACHI: Encroachments are a burning issue in the city of lights. Anyone and everyone with a bit of clout and the right contacts in the relevant department attempt to encroach public and private properties to expand their dominions. In recent years, courts have taken strong exception to this brazen act and ordered the authorities to take steps to evict the encroachers. In many cases, the exercise has proved futile - largely because the encroachers are either too deep-pocketed or too influential. On Monday, the Sindh Assembly heard of another kind of encroacher - diplomatic missions that have extended the walls of their structures without approval from the relevant authorities.

"The US and others consulates working in Karachi have encroached government land and have built their infrastructure in contravention of the original plan approved by the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA)," said Arif Mustafa Jatoi of Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA). "Have you ever inspected the buildings after approving the original plan," he questioned.

Referring to the US Consulate located on Mai Kolachi Bypass, he said, "They have not only encroached the sidewalk but have built more than three walls on the side road". He asked the Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani if he had checked it and if the consulate even had permission for it.

Jatoi referred to Pakistan's embassies aboard and asked, "Can Pakistani embassies do this in the USA and UK? If not, then why have we allowed it?"

Mindful of the security threats to the consulates, he said, "I know that such encroachments have been made given the security threats. But I just want to know if Sindh Building Control Authority has ever inspected the structure after approving the plan". He asked if a policy can be framed to discourage the practice in the future.

The LG minister, while sharing a copy of the no objection certificate (NOC) of the SBCA, said that the building was built lawfully with the approval of the relevant authority, but he was not sure whether the walls built on the sidewalk and road were legal. "Let me check it," he said.  The original plan approved by SBCA, however, provides, "The main water spouts, balconies, windows, plinth/cornice, etc. shall not project to more than two inches on any public streets. The premises shall not be used for any other use than that approved by the authority and according to the terms and conditions".

Water woes

During the session, Pakistan Peoples Party's (PPP) senior leader Nadir Magsi who belongs to Kamber Shahdadkot district cried foul against his own government and said, "Please correct your water management.

This is paddy crop season and growers are not being provided with water." He added that some influential people had damaged the watercourse and diverted water to their areas. "I am telling you that our government is not doing enough when it comes to water distribution. I am reporting this to the chief minister and others," he said, adding that they have registered a complaint with the irrigation secretary and other officials, but all in vain. "We live and die for water. Please place a check on this crisis, otherwise, the situation will become worse," he said, adding that since the local police and officials don't pay any heed, there was a dire need to call in the Rangers to manage the water crisis.

Magsi, who raised this issue on a point of order, lamented the ineptitude of the district administration and said that there were no posts of an engineer or sub-divisional engineer. He added that some government officials getting dictation from PPP members were defaming the party and its policy of serving the people.  "This is the constituency from where Benazir Bhutto used to be elected. I think it is a conspiracy against our party. So, please resolve it on war footing," he concluded his speech.

Ramzan Ghanchi of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), while endorsing Magsi's concerns, said that some PPP workers in Lyari shot him on the water issue too.  "UC Nazim of PPP, Suleman Soomro, started firing on me when I went there to resolve the water crisis," said Ghanchi, adding that no one takes any action to provide justice to him. "Soomro has publicly announced to have killed three people, but the police and the PPP government are protecting him".

While responding to Ghanchi, Ghani said that Soomro had won the local government election as an independent candidate and only later joined the PPP. Ghani refuted the claims that the Sindh government had ever mounted pressure on the police to favour Soomro.

Motion dismissed

The assembly dismissed PTI parliamentary leader Haleem Adil Shaikh's privilege motion against Mukesh Kumar Chawla, the minister for excise, taxation and parliamentary affairs. In his motion, Shaikh said, "Chawla has levelled serious allegation against me that I used derogatory language against the female MPAs of PPP in this House. I reject his allegations and such false statement has breached my privilege," he said, adding that such allegations were baseless.

Chawla was not present in the House. Ghani opposed the privilege motion and said that it was against the rules. "We ask the member to please speak on admissibility and convince this House. If the House approves then we can form a committee on it." When the speaker gave the floor to Shaikh, he could not properly read the rules and seemed little aware of them. After a few minutes' discussion on the rules of procedure, the speaker dismissed Shaikh's privilege motion, calling it out of order.

The opposition members stood up in protest, but the speaker adjourned the session till today (Tuesday). 

Published in The Express Tribune, July 16^th, 2019.