Sindh’s provincial minister Saeed Ghani said on Saturday that provincial land belongs to the province, and that federal departments hold allotments made by the province according to their needs, as he commented on the land dispute between the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) and Pakistan Railways over road construction in Karachi.
Speaking to the media, Ghani cautioned against creating a situation in which such lands are taken back because they were not used for the purpose for which they were allotted. He framed the KMC’s work as an effort to ease hardships for citizens, not a private building project.
Minister’s stance on the road work
Ghani said the KMC was constructing a road to give the public relief from daily difficulties. “Not a home for the chief minister or mayor was being built,” he said. He also argued that if the railways had an objection, they should have closed the katcha road earlier.
The minister linked the wider context to the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR)—a planned urban rail loop for the city—saying the project has been halted because of a lack of interest from the federal government. He added that whenever the KCR project begins, many things will be removed.
Mutual cases over Gulistan-e-Jauhar stretch
This month, officials of the KMC and Pakistan Railways registered cases against each other at a police station. Shahrah-e-Faisal Police registered a case against Pakistan Railways Police officials for allegedly kidnapping and torturing a KMC City Warden. The allegation is that railway police officials assaulted him and took him to an undisclosed location during a dispute over road construction and traffic management in Karachi.
According to that FIR, road repair work has been under way for the past four months on the stretch from Natha Khan Bridge to Pehlwan Goth near the Chakor Nullah in Gulistan-e-Jauhar. Railways police also registered a case against KMC officials; that FIR reportedly includes serious charges.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- Past four months: Road repair work continues from Natha Khan Bridge to Pehlwan Goth near Chakor Nullah in Gulistan-e-Jauhar, according to the KMC-related FIR.
- This month: KMC and Pakistan Railways officials register cases against each other; Shahrah-e-Faisal Police books railways police over alleged kidnapping and torture of a KMC City Warden, while railways police file a case against KMC officials.
- Saturday: Saeed Ghani says provincial land is owned by the province, defends the KMC road as public relief, and says the KCR project remains stalled for want of federal interest.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Saeed Ghani ne kaha ke ilaqai zameen province ki hoti hai, federal idaron ko zarurat par allot hoti hai. KMC aur Pakistan Railways ke darmiyan Karachi mein sarak ke masle par FIR hui hain. Wazir ke mutabiq yeh sarak awam ki asani ke liye ban rahi hai, kisi bade ghar ke liye nahi. Agar aap is ilaqe se guzarte hain to yeh jhagra traffic aur sarak ke kaam se judha hai.
