Punish those who allowed railways’ land for housing schemes: PTI leader

Giving suggestions on the apex court’s orders to demolish the houses and buildings to clear the tracks for the Karachi Circular Railway, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Karachi leadership on Friday suggested that no house on the railway track should be demolished till the financial close of the project was achieved.

Firdous Shamim Naqvi, the opposition leader in the Sindh Assembly, in a statement suggested that the houses should only be demolished when the railway track would be laid or the line would be operational in three months.

“Before the demolition of the houses, the affected citizens who were on the Japan International Cooperation Agency’s List should be provided alternative places,” he said. He also demanded the government to provide the affected citizens alternative accommodations in the government schemes or exchange plots on government lands or areas where the Sindh government has promised to rehabilitate the affected citizens.

“It is equally important that those who allowed these encroachments should be punished. It is also suspected that they were involved in embezzlement,” Naqvi maintained. “It is essential that the affected citizens get accommodations in the same area they are living in. The government should acquire land and then build high-rise apartments,” he suggested.

“Every family should be provided a minimum of three-room accommodations with kitchen, bath and toilet facilities,” he said. “The Supreme Court’s decision clearly asks for it too.” He said all PTI lawmakers would stand by the residents of their respective constituencies in their time of need.