MQM’s plea against creation of Keamari DMC: SHC issues notices to BoR member, others

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Thursday issued notices to the Board of Revenue member, local bodies department and others on petition filed by Muttahida Qaumi Movement MPAs against the creation of district municipal corporation for the newly-created Keamari district and the constitution of a committee to decide the distribution of resources, assets and liabilities in the Keamari and West districts of Karachi.

MPAs Ali Khursheedi and others have challenged the Sindh government notifications issued on October 28 and November 11 with regard to the creation of Keamari district municipal corporation and the constitution of a committee for the distribution of resources, assets and liabilities of the districts of West and Keamari.

They submitted that the government had created the Keamari district in violation of the law and a proper procedure had not been adopted by the government. They claimed that the district had been established on ethnic lines and several important aspects with regard to the creation of new districts had been disregarded by the government. They said the creation of the new district was gerrymandering by the ruling political party in Sindh to serve its political interests.

The court was requested to declare the establishment of the Keamari district illegal and call all relevant record and proceedings in respect of approval and the formation of the district. The petitioners also requested the court to set aside the impugned notification with regard to the creation of the Keamari DMC and the committee.

A division bench headed by Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar issued notices to member of the Board of Revenue, local government department and others, and called their comments on December 23.

The senior BoR member had earlier told court that the creation of the Keamari district from the West district was made in order to ensure administrative control and better service delivery in the best interest of public as well as for establishment of writ of the government in an effective manner.He submitted that the government felt it imperative to vary the limits of District West for the creation of the Keamari district. He said reports from the Karachi commissioner and the deputy commissioner of West were obtained and after observing all codal formalities approval of the cabinet and the CM, the Keamari district was notified.

The BoR member further said the public would be facilitated with the creation of the new district and the new district administration would be available to resolve their issues smoothly at their doorsteps. He submitted that the people of the district will be benefited from new job opportunities and better service delivery, and the government could smoothly carry out the administrative control and maintain its writ in the public interest.

He said that due to the creation of the new district no boundaries of the existing sub-division had been disturbed and the interest of the common citizen had been rather safeguarded.