Sindh, Centre at odds over federal residential estates

Estate Office officials leave meeting called for survey of federal govt quarters in city

KARACHI:

The Centre and Sindh have been at odds over constructing residential buildings on the land of federal colonies in Karachi.

A tense situation emerged when the officials of the Estate Office, Islamabad, abruptly left a meeting held at East District local government office which was convened to plan the survey of federal estates in provincial capital.

The Estate Office, responsible for federal government's estates in the four provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, has said that how can the Sindh government or local government start any project on federal land without its permission?

Sources say that the Sindh government is planning to demolish Martin Road, Clayton Road and Jahangir Road in Karachi's old federal colonies and build residential and commercial towers here.

In this regard, Sindh's caretaker chief minister said in a recent meeting that he would contact the federal government in this regard.

Sources said that until now the caretaker government of Sindh has not made any official contact with the Centre.

East District's deputy commissioner had summoned the officers of two federal institutions, Pakistan Public Works Department and Estate Office and asked them to form a survey team.

The team was supposed to report in 12 days on the present position of the government quarters in these settlements. How many serving and retired employees are there and when are they allotted? How many occupants are there or what constructions have been done here?

On the intervention of the competent authority, the staff of the Estate Office said that they cannot provide any information or support the caretaker provincial government or district administration in this matter until there is a policy of the federal government in this regard.

This meeting remained incomplete due to the departure of Estate Office officials. Sindh's caretaker government has held two meetings regarding this project. However, no authorised officer of the Federation or Ministry of Housing has participated in it. Sources of the Ministry of Housing say that Sindh's caretaker government has planned to build towers on federal residential colonies. The ministry has not been formally informed about this issue.

They said any decision to permit any construction on this land is subject to the approval of the prime minister or the federal cabinet.

Planning and Development Department Chairman Shakeel Mangnejo says that this is a rehabilitation plan for the residents of these dilapidated quarters. Contact with the federation is the task of competent provincial authorities.

Mayor Murtaza Wahab has said that the slums around these quarters were on KMC land. These Martin Quarters, Pakistan Quarters and other such federal govt residences were not properly maintained by the Centre after the transfer of the capital from Karachi in 1958. These quarters were allotted to federal government employees and they were not vacated after retirement and the later arrivals established their encroachments on the empty spaces around the quarters.

The central leader of MQM Pakistan and former federal minister Aminul Haq says that the residential colonies of Martin Road, Clayton Road and Jahangir Road are owned by the Centre. The Sindh government cannot start any project on this land without the approval of the federal government.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 9^th, 2023.