A resolution presented against former Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) director general for parks Liaquat Qaimkhani was ignored at the City Council session on Monday. The session was presided over by deputy mayor Syed Arshad Hasan.
Qaimkhani is accused of illegally allotting land in Karachi’s Bagh Ibne Qasim. That land was then used to construct a high-rise. Bagh Ibne Qasim is a public park in Karachi’s Clifton.
The National Accountability Bureau took Qaimkhani into custody last week. After the resolution was ignored by the deputy mayor, the opposition members protested and chanted slogans against the treasury benches.
The council in its general meeting also expressed acute concern over the state of Indian-occupied Kashmir. The members through a unanimously approved resolution condemned the atrocities of the Indian government in Kashmir and demanded of the world community, especially those working for human rights, to take immediate action to stop the killing of innocent people.
The council supported the stance of the prime minister of Pakistan and the army chief on the situation in held Kashmir and the raising of the Kashmir issue on the international level. The session was also attended by metropolitan commissioner Dr Syed Saif-ur-Rehman. The members welcomed the deputy mayor on his chairing the house for the first time.
The council during its proceedings expressed sorrow over the deaths of many citizens during recent rains in the city due to electrocution and demanded that action should be taken against those responsible for this.
Among other resolutions passed by the council included the approval of provision of liquid oxygen medical gas to the KIHD, installation of the PABX system and the provision of medical oxygen gases/nitro oxide in Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, amalgamation of vehicle department as POL section in the KMC Stores and Procurement, auction of various stalls and facilities in the Landhi Korangi Zoo, Karachi Zoo and transformation of Kidney Hill Park into City Forest, the establishment of a park named Kashmir Bagh in the old China Ground on Kashmir Road and the removal of advertising boards from city footpaths and greenbelts and roads.
The house also offered fateha for the late council member Waqar Ahmed Tanuli, former Test cricketer Abdul Qadir, actor and director Abid Ali, actress Zaheen Tahira, and former UC Nazim Ramzan Singhar. Tributes were paid to the martyrs, including Major Adeel Shahid, and others who gave their lives while on their duty at the Pak-Afghan border.
The members also prayed for early recovery of Chairman UC 14 Abdul Ghafoor. Those who expressed their views during the meeting included the leader of the house Aslam Shah Afridi, opposition leader Karamullah Waqasi, Junaid Mukati, Hanif Memon and Arif Khan advocate.