Sindh ministers shedding crocodile tears: Haleem

Sindh government ministers visit the Nasla Tower site to gain the sympathies of victims but do not follow the directives of the Supreme Court for payment of compensation to victims said Leader of the Opposition in Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Sheikh while addressing a press conference at his residence on Sunday.

He urged builders and Sindh government should ensure payment of compensation to affected families of Nasla Towers instead of shedding crocodiles' tears.

 Haleem said that as per the Association of Builders and Developers (ABAD) chairman 700 illegal buildings were under construction in the city. However, the opposition leader in Sindh said, it must be made public too, that who was behind these 700 illegal housing projects.

Haleem, who is also the vice president of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Sindh chapter, said that all builders who bribe officials to get the no-objection certificates (NOCs) and officers of the Sindh Building Control Authority, Cooperative Societies Department, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, Sindh Revenue Department should be made accountable for illegal construction.

 The Sindh government ministers and bureaucrats kept silent for their vested interests as thousands of illegal buildings were raised in violation of rules and regulations and thousands of acres of land was grabbed in Karachi, while hundreds of plots of poor people in Malir Development Authority (MDA) Taiser Town were encroached by influential squatters, Haleem said.

The opposition leader held Sindh government responsible for the miseries of victim families. The provincial government should ensure compensation to victims either from its own resources or by acquiring the amount from responsible builders and officers.

New LG bill Sindh Local Government Amendment Bill was a clear violation of the constitution of Pakistan particularly article 140-A which provided for devolution of power to local government, he said and vowed that PTI would challenge the amendments which deprive LG bodies from their constitutional functions and responsibilities.

PPP wanted NFC but it was reluctant of convening provincial finance commission while they were introducing secret balloting for election of chairmen and mayors of LG bodies to ensure selection of their chosen people, he said.

"Sindh government has already deprived local bodies from their core functions including building control, waste management etc and now it is attempting to usurp rights and mandate of people and we will challenge in the higher courts the legislation that is infringement to constitution of Pakistan," Haleem Adil Sheikh said.

 Deteriorating security situation Expressing grief over murder of a PTI leader and businessman Rana Sakhawat Rajput in Qambar Shahdadkot district Haleem Adil said that a banned outfit had claimed responsibility of the murder. CM Sindh who is also home minister let us know what police was doing to control crimes particularly investigation of some murders claimed by the same banned outfit.

 PPP has become a security risk as PPP and its CM Murad Ali Shah's narrative was fueling anti federation sentiments in Sindh, he alleged and added that PPP was playing Sindh card to hide their misdeeds and corruption and to oppose just for political point scoring every measure taken by federal government for providing relief to people of Sindh.

Various matters including Covid lockdown, management of hospitals, SIDCL, development of Bundal Island, NAB's action against corruption, shortage of water and transfer of officers were termed attack on Sindh, he observed.

 Problem of robberies was resurfacing in the province and roads and railway tracks have become unsafe while the provincial government declined the federal government's offer for providing Rangers to assist the police in maintaining law and order in the province.

Haleem demanded that Rangers to be deputed with powers across the province to curtail rising incidents of dacoity, road robberies, murders and target killings.