the first phase of which will commence from Karachi and run for four months.
The operation is backed by the three coalition partners — Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Awami National Party (ANP).
An announcement in this regard was made on Tuesday at a joint press conference of Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad and Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, at the Governor’s House. The press conference was arranged after a meeting of the coalition partners at the Governor’s House.
The action has been finalised after the expected promulgation of the Sindh Public Property (Removal of Encroachments) Ordinance-2010.
A comprehensive plan for removal of encroachments on lands of the Board of Revenue and of the City District Government Karachi has also been chalked out under the plan.
The operation would be carried out in coordination with the police, the Rangers and the CDGK, the governor said.
The governor and the chief minister lauded the gestures of President Asif Ali Zardari and the MQM founder, Altaf Hussain, for taking some vital decisions for this operation.
Earlier during the meeting of the coalition partners, the EDO (Revenue), Roshan Ali Sheikh, told the governor that within two days of the operation, encroachments spread over 800 acres of the state land would be removed.
The governor said that encroachments in the city had been a big issue and that there had been a law against them, but it was not implemented in letter and in spirit and the land mafia took advantage of this apathy.
He said that the government had made a firm decision this time round to remove the encroachments on the state land.
The governor also announced a code of conduct for the operation and said this operation would not be restricted to Karachi, but it would also cover other districts of the province.
The governor also advised the political leaders to remove party flags from the areas under their influence as this issue had also been creating a rift among different people.
The governor said that the land mafia had been involved in target killings, but the political parties got blamed for those acts.
Syed Qaim Ali Shah said that land was a provincial subject and the main source of income, and that “we all are here today to begin the anti-encroachment operation through a political will and a vision”.
He said President Asif Ali Zadari had suggested removal of encroachments and the MQM founder, Altaf Hussain, had been a source of tremendous help in starting this operation in Karachi.
Shah said that the coalition partners were working harmoniously in the Sindh Assembly for the development of the province, and that the government would not tolerate anyone encroaching on the state land and the ones encroached upon would be vacated at any cost. He said that the law-enforcement agencies would help political parties in making this operation a success.
Shah regretted that some federal government departments had occupied the land of the Sindh government and that the provincial government would approach the federal government to seek its help on this issue.
The chief minister said that the government would also provide alternative land to the people who were living at either side of the nullahs in the city, including the Gujjar Nullah.
MQM’s Dr Farooq Sattar said that encroachments must be considered as crimes.
Shahi Syed of the ANP said that the bone of contention between different parties were the flags hoisted in different areas of the city.
He also suggested making institutions stronger which would also make the country stronger.
Amin Khattak, also of the ANP, reminded Dr Farooq Sattar that a former prime minister, Mohammed Khan Junejo, had stated that the katchi abadis up to the date of March 23, 1985, stood notified, so under this operation they should be taken care of.
During the meeting, the representatives of the Association of Builders and Developers (ABAD) briefed the participants about their problems and made certain suggestions.
However at some stages differences cropped up among different ministers over the definition of encroachments.
Pir Mazharul Haq and some other ministers represented the PPP while the Muttahida was represented by the Federal Minister for Port and Shipping, Babar Ghori, the Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis, Dr Farooq Sattar, and the Sindh Minister for Health, Dr Sagheer Ahmed. Shahi Syed and Amin Khattak represented the ANP.
A senior member of the Board of Revenue, Ghulam Ali Pasha, the Inspector-General of Police, Salahuddin Babar Khattak, and the CCPO of Karachi were also present on the occasion.
