KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly was informed on Friday that the government had imposed a ban on Qingqi rickshaws, but the association of the rickshaw operators got a restraining order from court against the ban.

Replying to a call attention notice given by Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan’s Jamal Ahmed, Senior Sindh Minister Sharjeel Memon informed the house that Qingqi rickshaws were officially banned by the government, but they continued to operate in the city due to a court injunction.

“However, these rickshaws are not seen on major roads in the city,” he added.

The MQM-P lawmaker had drawn attention of the house to underage drivers of rickshaws who were driving the three-wheelers without driving licences and asked the government as to what steps were being taken to prevent the illegal practice that leads to road accidents.

Karachi has 319 notified and 263 un-notified katchi abadis, adviser tells house

The minister informed the house that from January 1 to October 30, a total of 304 challans had been issued for underage driving, resulting in the government collecting Rs912,000 in fines.

Additionally, 1,860 individuals were challaned for driving without licence, which generated Rs3.72 million in revenue.

Minister praises traffic police

Mr Memon, who holds the portfolios of information, transport and excise, said that the traffic police took action against underage drivers of Qingqi rickshaws and they were fined Rs120,000 during the past one year.

He added that the most vulnerable members of the society were traffic police who endured long hours in temperatures reaching 40 to 45 degrees centigrade.

He said that while there were good and bad individuals everywhere, it was unfair to blame the entire department for the actions of a few.

The minister emphasised that traffic policemen had also faced targeted attacks in Karachi in the past, yet they continued to perform their duties with courage.

Flats planned in slums

The house was informed that the provincial government was planning to build flats in slums and shanty towns, also known as katchi abadis, to stop squatter settlements in the city.

Furnishing a statement and replies to lawmakers’ written and verbal queries during Question Hour, Chief Minister’s Adviser on Human Settlement Najmi Alam said a large number of katchi abadis were already there in the city and the provincial government intended to regularise the un-notified ones which existed on or before Dec 31, 2011.

MQM-P’s Shariq Jamal had asked the chief minister, who also holds the portfolio of human settlement department, to give the location-wise number of shanty towns existing in the city and if the provincial government had any plan to regularise them.

The CM’s special assistant on human settlement said that there were 319 notified katchi abadis, of them 94 were in district Central, 24 in West, 43 in East, 63 in Korangi, 24 in Malir, 27 in South and 44 in Keamari.

Besides, he said there were 263 un-notified katchi abadis in the seven districts of the city.

He said district Central had 32 un-notified shanty towns, West 114, East eight, Korangi 43, Malir nine, South 37 and district Keamari had 20.

He said that the un-notified shanty towns would be regularised by giving ownership rights to people living there after completion of codal formalities, which included reconnaissance survey, inclusion of settlement in the master list, no-objection certificate from the land owning agency and preparation of amelioration plan.

Replying to another question raised by the MQM-P member, Mr Alam said that there were criteria for regularisation of katchi abadis according to cut-off date under the Sindh Katchi Abadis Act, 1987 and the Sindh Katchi Abadi Authority Regulations, 1993.

As per criteria, he said, a settlement should be in existence on or before De 12, 2011 and it must have at least 40 dwelling units.

At the outset of the proceedings, the house prayed for the speedy recovery of President Asif Ali Zardari and congratulated the minority community on Diwali.

Later, Speaker Syed Awais Shah adjourned the house to Monday at 10am.

Published in Dawn, November 2nd, 2024