KARACHI, July 10: The City Council on Thursday allowed the construction of a five-star hotel at Clifton beach by adopting a majority resolution submitted by the treasury benches.

The project’s land, measuring 2.5 acres, is in Block 2, Scheme 5, Clifton, near the Beach Park.

The opposition benches opposed the project, saying that the proposed landsite was reserved for amenity purposes and called for the reversal of the commercialisation policy.

However, the treasury members defended the move saying that the city government had decided to change the status of this land from that of a marine promenade to that of a commercial venture.

They argued that after the construction of the hotel, the city government would earn significant revenue and the problem of accommodation for foreign delegates would also be solved.

They further said that Karachi had become a prominent city in the world. The number of foreign delegates in the city was increasing daily. With the construction of the hotel, the accommodation problem would be solved to a great extent.

The session was presided over by City Naib Nazim Nasreen Jalil.

No noisy exchanges

Surprisingly, the proceedings of the session were held in a congenial atmosphere and there were no noisy disturbances as noticed in the previous sessions. Earlier, members of both sides of the divide spoke on several issues.

Leader of the house Asif Siddiqui of the Haq Parast panel joined by Masood Mehmud discussed the issue of the recent cuts in the octroi zila tax (OZT), saying that it would affect the development works in the city.

They also deplored the reports that funds of the union councils were being curtailed, saying that it would cripple the union council system.

Reciprocating the sentiments of the treasury benches, Juman Darwan, a leader of the Awam Dost panel, urged the Sindh government to revise its decision. He also said he would raise the issue at a higher forum to find an amicable resolution to the issue.

Spencer’s Eye Hospital

Another Awam Dost panel leader, Yusuf Naz, drew the attention of the chair to the “fast deteriorating condition” of the Spencer Eye Hospital near Lea Market, saying that the hospital was a victim of neglect. Patients were not receiving proper treatment and mostly doctors remained absent from work.

Mr Naz demanded that a committee should be formed to inquire into the affairs of the hospital.

However, treasury member Dr Nikhat Shakeel did not agree with the contention of the opposition member, saying that the city government had taken a number of steps to improve the condition of the hospital besides providing modern equipment to it.

On the intervention of Convener Nasreen Jalil, a five-member committee was constituted to inquire into the lot of the Spencer Eye Hospital.

Opposition member Abdul Salam expressed concern over the spiralling prices, affecting every member of society. He urged the members to take the issue seriously and pass a joint resolution in this connection and, if possible, house members should highlight the issue by staging a rally.

Treasury members who took part in the debate included Syed Absarul Hasan, Mazhar Alim, Salman Baloch and Mirza Sajid Beg, and on the opposition side Ramzan Awan, advocate Saifuddin and Shamim Mumtaz Wasih participated.

Both sides condemned the Islamabad and Karachi bomb blasts and offered Fateha for the dead.

Concluding the session, Convener Nasreen Jalil praised the house members for conducting the house business in a peaceful manner and expressed the hope that they would continue with the spirit of cooperation and harmony and maintain the dignity of the house.

She said the house would now meet on July 14 to take up the remaining parts of the agenda. In addition to the Clifton hotel, the council is likely to discuss a quarterly report submitted by the chairman of the Transport and Mass Transit Committee.

The council agenda included a proposal of issuing Rs50,000 per week as allowances for the laboratories in the jurisdiction of the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.