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Thursday March 28, 2024

Sindh CM orders inquiry against Malir Development Authority DG

By Imdad Soomro
June 20, 2022

KARACHI: Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah has directed minister Sindh Local Government, Housing and Town Planning (LH&T) to take action against Muhammad Sohail, Director General (DG) of the Malir Development Authority (MDA), on his alleged corrupt practices and abuse of authority.

Official record, copies available with The News, shows that Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah took cognizance of a joint complaint of two residents, Bukhat Bedar Fasihi and Mudassir Hussain, about alleged corrupt practices and abuse of authority of DG Malir Development Authority Sohail. He asked the Minister Sindh Local Government, Housing and Town Planning Syed Nasir Shah for ‘necessary action and submission of the report at the earliest to CM Secretariat’.

Earlier, the Sindh High Court (SHC), on June 8, 2022, had suspended Sohail’s posting as DG MDA. The SHC suspended two notifications, one of the secretary Sindh Local Government of posting Sohail as Director General of MDA and the other of Sindh Chief Secretary (CS) for repatriating him (Sohail) from the Hyderabad Development Authority (HDA) to Malir Development Authority (MDA). The bench was seized with a petition filed by a citizen Faizan Lateef against the notifications issued on May 18, and 23, 2022, by Chief Secretary Sindh Muhammad Sohail Rajput and Secretary Local Government Najam Shah for DG Sohail’s posting. But despite the suspension of the notifications, neither Sohail has been removed from his position nor any other officer posted as the head of the MDA yet.

Petitioner Lateef has prayed the Sindh High Court to suspend the posting order of Muhammad Sohail as the head of MDA and repatriate him to his parent department to his original position in Grade 17 as per the order of the Supreme Court of Pakistan August 2016. Petitioner Lateef, through his counsel, submitted in the court that Sohail had once again been repatriated to the MDA and posted as DG in a clear violation of the apex court’s order.

Bukhar Bedar Fasihi and Mudasir Hussain, in their joint complaint, blamed DG MDA Sohail for demolishing their legitimate property measuring 32 acres land situated in the limits of Sector 77, Scheme 45, allegedly for not giving him bribe of Rs50 million. The complainants attached the documents of their property along with the permissions and NOCs of the Revenue authorities to justify their claim.

DG MDA Muhammad Sohail told The News that all the charges against him were baseless and he had demolished illegal encroachments as per the law. The encroachers lodged a false complaint against him at the Chief Minister’s portal and all his actions were according to law and rules.

Abdul Rasheed Channa, Spokesman for the Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, told The News that CM Sindh strictly believes in the rule of law and has zero tolerance for corrupt practices and misuse of authority.

Channa added CM Sindh Secretariat received a compliant on the issue and had directed concerned minister for action and to submit the report. After the submission of report, the CM will decide the issue as per merit and law.