CM Murad wants probe into illegal allotments

The Sindh government will file three applications in the Supreme Court on Saturday (today) to divert funds recovered from a real estate development giant for the rehabilitation of people evicted during anti-encroachment drive, development of Malir district and flood management on left bank of Indus.

The chief executive of Sindh government also called for constitution of a commission to probe into illegal allotment of land which led to encroachment issue in the first place.

Addressing a press conference at CM House on Friday he Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said that, on the directives of Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto, the provincial government has decided to allot 80 square yard plots to all the 6,500 families displaced due removal of encroachments along the embankments of Gujjar and Orangi Nulla.

"Since the affected people are very poor to construct their houses, therefore we would like to request the Supreme Court of Pakistan to provide Rs10 billion being recovered from Bahria Town for the construction of over 6,500 houses, development of road, drainage and water supply infrastructure in Malir district and to construct drainage system on the left bank of River Indus which usually inundated the big cities and town in the areas."

The CM was accompanied by his cabinet members, Syed Nasir Shah, Sohial Anwar Siyal and Advisor Law Murtaza Wahab.

"The federal government has agreed to give two-month rent to the affected people at a rate of Rs15,000 per month and it has agreed to provide them apartments in Naya Pakistan Housing Scheme," he said and added "the manifesto of PPP calls for provision of shelter to the shelterless, therefore it become the responsibilities to provide houses to the affected people," he said.

The CM said that he has decided that the 80 square yard plots be provided to each displaced family either at Taiser Town or LDA Scheme-42.

"Therefore, through three applications, to be filed on Saturday morning, the Supreme Court would be requested to divert Rs10 billion being recovered from Bahria Town to these schemes so that they could be completed in time. "We would have no objection if the Supreme Court appoints a monitory judge or monitor itself the implementation of the said schemes," he announced.

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Replying to a question said that the Supreme Court has decided the cases of Gujjar, Orangi Nullas and Nasla towers as per law. "The law does not allow illegal allotment, construction or major or minor violations, therefore the Supreme Court has declared them illegal," he said and added that his government has envisaged a plan to rehabilitate the affected people on humanitarian grounds.

Inquiry Commission: Murad Ali Shah disclosed that the provincial cabinet has decided to request the Supreme Court of Pakistan to allow constitution of an Inquiry Commission under a retired judge or a retired grade BS-21 officer to inquire into the matters of allotment of land, approval of layout plans, overlooking violations or allowing extra lands all the controversial projects and fix the responsibility.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 3^rd, 2021.