Karachi: City Council session on ban on lease of land

[Naveed Yaseen]

Convener urged to move court against CM’s orders

* Awards lease to Medina and Muhammadi Colonies

By Irfan Aligi

KARACHI: The City Council has once again taken up the issues that have emerged after the Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah passed orders for ban on lease of land and other steps by the Sindh government quashing certain Council Resolutions (CR) particularly CR 420 and 462. The treasury and the opposition benches had been engaged in heated debates to prove their viewpoints as justified while on various occasions members from both the benches alleged each other for misuse of powers above the constitutional limits.

Taking a lead to speak on point of order, leader of the House, Muhammad Asif Siddiqui alleged that the measures taken by the Sindh CM were tantamount to curbing the constitutional rights and powers of the City Council.

Siddiqui further said that quashing the CRs 420 and 462 were contrary to provisions of clause laid in the constitution while defending the approval of the said CRs, he added that the City Council had adopted and passed those CRs in strict accordance to the provisions, especially section 39 of the Sindh Local Government Ordinance (SLGO).

Siddiqui demanded the convener should move higher court against CM’s orders because it was a question about the prestige and the writ of the City Council.

Saeed Ghani from the opposition benches demanded the convener should provide copies of CM’s orders along with CRs under debate. These were provided to him accordingly. As a result, the treasury benches staged severe protest and demanded the convener to delete Ghani’s statement as the latter had remarked that the treasury benches had done nothing during last four years

Speaking on point of order, Abdul Jalil claimed that since the Sindh CM failed to adopt and follow the legal procedures, henceforth the CRs were not quashed and these CRs were still valid.

Arshad Qureshi advocate from the treasury benches said that the City Council has legal powers under SLGO section 39 (N) and (O) to pass any CR. Sindh government could only quash these CRs after 90 days of conducting enquiry but it was not done, which is itself is a violation of the law.

Meanwhile, Aqeel Ahmed Ansari from the treasury benches had tabled CR for award of lease to Medina Colony, Muhammadi Colony and slums situated in the vicinity of Medina Colony Extension. He claimed that the Sindh Katchi Abadi Authority has already approved the slums vide notification No. SKAA/NOT/KAR-1/91/1761 dated: Dec 4, 1991 and SKAA/NOT/KAR-1/91/11551/91 dated: Sep 6, 1991. The house passed the CR with a majority of votes.

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