Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani spoke out against Karachi’s land mafia on Saturday, saying that land grabbers should vacate state property, worth trillions of rupees, within a month.
The premier made the statements while visiting his former professor Waris Mir’s residence here on Saturday.
“The people of Sindh, in particular, have stood up against land grabbers, extortionists, and terrorists and will not rest till these criminals are eliminated,” he said.
Action would be taken across the board against those who have robbed the state of its wealth, he added.
He also said that thousands of acres of land listed in the revenue record of the government would be retrieved.
Karachi violence
The premier said that the federal government fully supported the operation taking place in nine areas of Karachi, and added that it was being conducted successfully.
Law enforcement agencies have been instructed to take action on credible intelligence and minimise collateral damage, he said.
Gilani said that peace in Karachi was critical for the economy of the country.
“We cannot afford the law and order situation to get out of hand. We will succeed, because it is the only option,” he added.
Army voices concern
over Karachi
The Pakistan Army reiterated its concern over the ongoing spate of violence in Karachi and called for an end to target killings in the commercial hub of the country.
Talking to a foreign news channel, military spokesperson Major General Athar Abbas said many innocent people had lost their lives to violence in the city.
He expressed hope that the joint operation by the Rangers and police would restore peace and rid the city of its criminal elements.
Abbas said, intelligence provided by Pakistan’s intelligence services was being used to target miscreants in the volatile regions of the city.
New provinces
While expressing his views on the question of the new provinces, the PM said that the people of Southern Punjab felt that the issue of creating more provinces has been launched to sabotage their movement. The Pakistan Peoples Party leadership however, believes in consensus and would take a decision of national importance on that basis as it had done in the case of the constitutional amendments and other major changes, he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 4th, 2011.
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COMMENTS (19)
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Instead of taking swift action action aginst the land mafia, they have been given one month deadline. It shows how seriously this government is taking this issue. The legal allottees of Ahesanabad Cooperative Housing Society and several other cooperative societies have suffered alot but when the elections are only one and half year away, the government has decided to take some visible action. If they are seriously considering to take action then action must be taken against those government officials with whom's connivance land grabbing activity has been promoted in karachi.
Does the Prime Minister know which land belong to the state?
In the absence of maintaining digital property records, it is difficult to find out which land belongs to the state or which land is owned by a private owner.
On the empty plot of land, neither there is a boundary wall built, nor the name of the owner is written, so how does one distinguish between the actual owner and the land grabber?
Do you believe the one month deadline given to land mafia by the Prime Minister is appropriate?
NO, I don't think it is appropriate for the Prime Minister to give deadline to extortionists and terrorists.if he knew about land mafia in Karachi then he should respond with immediate action against them rather than giving them deadline to flee away temporarily ....
Will the Pak PM resign if his deadline remains unfulfilled ?
You tell them to leave the moment they make themselves known. You make certain they can't leave after they commit a crime. Giving them a deadline is a form of compromise. You're compromising with criminals at the expense of the innocent. Bad move if you want the respect of the people. It's even worse while wanting the respect of the whole world.
But, it goes to show. The only people you go out of your way to demonize and use most of your time keeping outside of your borders are the ones who are trying to help you. Yes, there's something in it for them. But, it's intended to be a win/win agreement with both sides gaining something. I'm sure if you put the effort you put into making that complicated into dealing with these land mafia people they wouldn't know what hit them.
One month for What...to grab more land while our PM the Nero plays his flute.
Are you kidding my dear PM? and yeah what about target killers,extortion mafia and bhatta mafia? Oh i suppose they would celebrate Christmas with you.
@Parvez,Are you kidding?This guy is a puppet of the NROd President who is having fun overseas while thousands of Sindhis are dying because of the floods.Jilani should be prosecuted by not upholding the office of Prime Minister.He has abdicated all the PM powers to a guy who could not care less for Pakistan.Mark my words, he will fly the coop when PPP is beaten badly in coming elections.I would say don't vote for them for the next 30years if they bring that playboy from London.It is amazing that that they think PPP is their personal property but I forgot that all the leaders of the Pakistan's political parties think the same way as Zardari and company do.Jilani giving one months to these thugs and robbers is wishy washy thinking because he knows that majority of them are political elite and some of them are from his own party.They really think that Pakistanis are so stupid that they will buy anything what their so called leaders tell them.Does he really think that people can't see through this stupid statement of his but then again he is not known to be very bright anyway.
We People of Pakistan want every illegal occupants, and land grabbers despite of designation and status to vacate all government / Public lands throughout Pakistan.
What type of Government is this.?
Where is the writ of the Government?.
Does this mean the khakis will vacate DHAs and cantonment areas?
what about lands illegally occupied in punjab KPK balochistan and GB ? are you the prime minister of sindh only or the whole of pakistan?
@Johnny Bravo:
He has given him one month....wait for one month....lets hope he doesn't come with another fancy response after one month..
If they are illegal why give them one month ? Why not immediate action ?