The Sindh government has prepared an ordinance to regularise illegal settlements in the province and sent it to the governor for ratification.
Karachi Administrator Barrister Murtaza Wahab told a press conference that the Sindh government would bring an ordinance to stop immediate action against buildings and houses made in violation of rules and regulations. He said it had been proposed that a commission be set up to decide whether a building should be regularised or not and in what parameters. He said the proposed law was the same as the one introduced in Punjab to regularise illegal buildings, with one additional para saying that the anti-encroachment drive should be stopped after the enforcement of the law until the commission decides on the matter.
“The law’s basic purpose is to protect people’s fundamental rights, I hope that we will be allowed to work so that people’s lives and properties are protected within the ambit of the law,” Wahab said. The PPP had presented a resolution in the Sindh Assembly, drawing the provincial government’s attention to legislate on the matter of people’s houses being razed. The resolution supported taking action against constructions done on waterways but desired a less stern path for illegal houses, shops and buildings where people had been living for many years.
The Sindh government’s move to relgularise illegal establishments comes after much hue and cry following the Supreme Court’s order to demolish Karachi’s Nasla Tower. When the governor signs the ordinance, demolition works on illegal settlements will be stopped for a period of 90 days, according to the ordinance’s draft.
