Conversion of amenity plots: activists oppose proposal to empower MPAs

Sindh provincial assembly's proposed legislation seeking to empower the legislators to convert the amenity plots has been widely criticised by people from all shades and opinions. Participants at a session arranged by Pakistan Civic Society (PCS) here last week asked the government to announce formal withdrawal of Sindh Assembly's proposed bill.
It was feared that the proposed legislation will provide unchallenged privilege to the legislators to change the status of civic amenities. The commercialisation of Webb playground is a horrible example of the abuse of authority by the former President of Pakistan which since been declared void by the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
Participants also expressed concern over the illegal demand of transferring amenity plots to the 'favourites' for personal gains. They thought that the large-scale suppression of co-operative housing societies in Karachi was an attempt to pressurise the elected members of the societies and appealed to Supreme Court of Pakistan to take suo motu action against this corrupt practice and victimisation by Sindh bureaucracy.
Elahi Bux Soomro said that the proposed legislation seemed to be a mischief. The allocation of amenity plots is a matter of town planning whereas the legislators are not usually aware of the standard of planning of civic amenities, he maintained.
Tasneem Ahmed Siddiqui was of the view that the city of Karachi already lacked civic amenities and any further conversion of amenity plots would further damage the environment. He stressed the need for strict implementation of environmental laws and discourage the trend of land-grabbing in city. One of the major cause of targeted killing in Karachi was the trend of land-grabbing, he said.
Shah Muhammed Misbah hoped that the superior courts would take cognisance of the proposed legislation for conversion of civic amenities pending in Sindh assembly. He stressed the need for an urgent survey of amenity plots available in various localities in Karachi so that a comprehensive policy could be drawn by the civil society to protect them.
Participants included former Speaker of National Assembly, Elahi Bux Soomro, ex-Director General of Kachi Abadis, Tasneem Ahmed Siddiqui, ex-Director General of defunct Karachi Development Authority, Shah Muhammad Misbah, ex-Municipal Commissioner and EDO of City District Government Karachi, S.Mehmood Syed, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan co-ordinator, Shamsuddin, Pakistan Medical Association's acting General Secretary, Dr Ismail Memon, Karachi Cricket Association President, Sirajul Islam Bukhari, Boxing Federation's Secretary, Abid Hussain Brohi, President Civic Society Convenor, Mahfooz-un-Nabi Khan, Human rights activist, Rana Asif Habib, Senior advocate, Aga Syed Attaullah Shah, Tahir Shaikh of Housing Society's Union, Shahid Hussain Khan of House Building Finance Corporation Officers Association and other personalities representing different walks of life.