KARACHI, Jan 29: The proceedings of the City Council session on Tuesday were marred by noisy protests and disorder as the treasury and opposition benches traded accusations against each other on various issues.
The session was presided over by Karachi Naib Nazim Nasreen Jalil who had to intervene and advise both sides to maintain the decorum of the house and respect each others’ points of view. A complete chaos was witnessed in the house when the opposition staged a walkout in protest against the attitude of treasury members, who took advantage of the absence of their rivals and quickly adopted two resolutions.
Earlier when the house resumed its session, councillors from both sides stood up on different points of order to draw the attention of the convener towards certain issues in need of urgent consideration, bypassing the normal business of the house.
Treasury member Abdul Jalil raised the issue of suspension in gas supply in certain parts of the city and urged the convener to call the officials concerned to explain the situation.
However, opposition member Juman Darwan criticised the city district government for uprooting century-old settlements in the city. His remarks caused uproar in the house, but he continued that he had already expressed his reservations about the city’s master plan. He alleged that it was chalked out to demolish old villages in the city and build commercial-cum-residential complexes.
Unfurling a copy of a notice issued by the Malir Development Authority in the house, the councillor said that 150 goths were served demolition notices in Gadap Town only. Alleging that the notices were issued on the directives of a high-up in the provincial government, he said that the government’s decision had created unrest among the villagers who according to him had threatened to block the Super Highway if the notices were not withdrawn within a week.
The house witnessed pandemonium when treasury member Ahsan Siddiqui attempted to counter the arguments of Mr Juman and remarked whether he planned an “action replay” of the December 27 events.
Opposition member Dilawar Khan reacted to his comments and said: “There would be an action replay of the May 12 incidents.”
Both sides traded allegations and a complete chaos was witnessed in the house until the convener intervened and suspended the proceedings for 10 minutes.
When the session resumed, Ms Jalil urged members to maintain the dignity of the house and respect each others’ views.
Leader of the Opposition in the City Council Saeed Ghani accused the city nazim of launching the election campaign of the Muttahida Quami Movement by spending huge funds of the city government. He alleged that computers were given to an institute and a promise was made to raise its status to a degree-awarding institute. People were being deceived in the name of development, he added.
Leader of the House Asif Siddiqui reacted to the remarks against the city nazim and accused the opposition leader of pursuing the confrontational policies of the Pakistan People’s Party, alleging that they did nothing for the city when they were in power.
The speech of the opposition leader about development funds was repeatedly disrupted by treasury benches and the convener had to intervene and calm down the legislators.
Striving hard to raise the issue of UC funds, the opposition leader said that it must be taken seriously. The convener tried to reassure the opposition members that she would consult the committee chairman concerned and the issue would be taken up in the next session.
Rafique Ahmed of Al-Khidmat group also stressed the need for taking the issue of UC funds on a priority basis. He alleged that the city government was creating obstacles in the release of funds to some union councils dominated by opposition members, thereby depriving many areas of the fruit of development.
As soon as another legislator Abdul Jalil intervened, alleging that most opposition nazims had been elected on special seats and as such they had no right to raise the UC fund issue, the opposition members staged a walkout in protest.
Resolutions adopted
Following the walkout, the house took normal business agenda and passed two resolutions unanimously in the absence of opposition members.
The first resolution related to the conversion of an industrial plot (Pipe Factory) into commercial-cum-residential. The land measuring 28.54 hectares is situated in Scheme 24 of Gulshan-i-Iqbal. The second was about the transfer of another piece of land ST2 & 3/15-A from the city government to the Karachi Development Company Limited (KDCO) in which the City Government would have 100 per cent shares.
Defending both resolutions, the treasury members claimed that the projects were being designed according to the master development plan of Karachi.
Later, the house was adjourned to meet again on February 4.
Token hunger strike
Later, opposition leader Saeed Ghani and Rafique Ahmed of Al Khidmat group addressed a joint press conference.
They said that the opposition had planned to observe a token hunger strike outside the Karachi Press Club to expose the victimisation of the opposition by the city government by withholding the funds of opposition union councils. It was not for the first time that the funds of opposition UCs were withheld, they said, adding that the practice had been going on for the past three financial years.
They announced that the opposition would stage a hunger strike in the first week of February. However, the final date of the protest would be declared later, they added.
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