Land-grabbing behind Karachi killings, terrorism: Qaim

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah said on Sunday that land-grabbing was the reason behind most target killings and terrorist activities in Karachi.

Speaking in the Sindh Assembly, a day after his three hours-long speech in the House to wind up the general discussion on the new provincial budget, Qaim Ali Shah said all  the city’s violence was related to wealth and land (Zar and Zameen as the Urdu saying goes) and there was a third element too which he did not wish to name.

He said illegal occupation of land was one of the major causes behind terrorist activities.

He said the terminology of “qabza mafia” (occupation mafia) had its origin in Karachi. He said that the government had been able to free 6,500 acres of state land under illegal occupation despite receiving undue recommendations from several influential quarters.

A day earlier, the chief minister had assured the lawmakers that the murderers of famous Qawwal Amjad Sabri would soon be nabbed and the kidnapped son of the Sindh High Court chief justice too would be rescued.

Later, responding to cut motions of the opposition legislators in connection with the new provincial budget, provincial finance minister Murad Ali Shah said Rs11 billion of the budget reserved for the chief minister’s secretariat included money for purchasing a new helicopter for the chief minister as the previous helicopter had become too old.

He said the new helicopter would also be used for services related to urban disaster management and fire fighting operations.