DHA residents demand voting rights

KARACHI: The laws made by former president General Ziaul Haq regarding the status of Defence Housing Authority (DHA), which was changed from Society to Authority, were neglected by the government although its 18th constitutional amendment repealed all other orders by the dictator.

The general’s Presidential Order Number 7 of 1980, which converted the Defence Housing Society into Defence Housing Authority (DHA), has been left alone, an evident flaw, DHA residents feel, in the 18th amendment.

If the order is repealed, the area that comes under the authority of DHA would be limited to its jurisdiction according to the site map prepared way back in the 1980s. Under this map, the city government would have the right to civic facilities and tax collection in DHA and residents of this area would also have the right to vote. The remaining areas would be included in the city constituencies.

“Presently, residents have no right to elect the board,” said Asad Kizilbash, secretary of the Association of Defence Residents (ADR), “only some property owners, who happen to be retired army officials, enjoy the liberty to vote.”

Kizilbash said that anyone who owns property in DHA should be given the right to vote for the board that makes all decisions related to the residential society. There should be one set of membership rules with no discrimination by categorising residents into civilians and retired armed forces personnel.

“As the problems being faced by DHA residents are not being solved and new ones pop up regularly, this seems to be the only logical solution,” Kizilbash suggested. More than 90 per cent of the residents in DHA are civilians while around eight per cent are retired or serving armed forces officials. Two per cent of DHA comprises commercial areas.

“All the orders and powers under the 18th amendment introduced by General Zia have been repealed, however, I have no idea about his Presidential Order Number seven unless I study it,” said Senator Raza Rabbani. “Some of the orders of General Zia were validated by the parliament in his time, which cannot be reversed at present,” Rabbani told The Express Tribune.

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) MNA Haider Abbas Rizvi is of the view that there are some loopholes when it comes to certain decisions in constitutional amendments. “I suggest that the 1924 Cantonment Board Act should be eliminated as the jurisdiction of the cantonments fall outside the city areas. The right to vote should be given to people who own property worth millions of rupees, said Rizvi, adding that the city government should be responsible for the provision of civic amenities and tax collection.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 2^nd, 2010.