shehri presentation dec 2009 abuse of state property in karachi

8/9/2019 Shehri Presentation Dec 2009 Abuse of State Property in Karachi

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Abuse of State Property in Karachi

Shehri-CBEDecember 2009


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Shehri-CBE

Shehri-Citizens for a Better Environment

is a civil society group

involved in various issues related to the

protection and conservation ofnatural and built environment

in Pakistan


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Some success stories

Demolition ofGlass Towersillegal encroachmenton the notified road-widening of Clifton Road: thisaction saved the road from being constricted.

Saving of 480-acre Gutter Baghicha ParkonManghopir Road: this is the largest openrecreational space in a low income congested areaof approximately one million inhabitants

Demolition of apartment structure Costa Livina inBagh-e-Ibn-e-Qasim, Clifton park.

Increasing awareness about built-environmentissues, and rendering assistance to the judiciary


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Is Shehri Anti-Development?

Karachi will expand the 21st century due to population

pressures. However a city also requires :

Open spaces for recreation & fresh air / playgrounds for

children.

Schools, hospitals & other social amenities.

Libraries & theatres.

Transport systems & roads.

Adequate utilities & infrastructure (electricity, water, sewerage)At this moment the city is being abused by unlawful allotment of

unplanned land, arbitrary conversion of land-use and

construction of illegal buildings.


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Who Benefits?

When a criminal group take over a park in connivance with

corrupt government officials to build a shopping plaza?

When an illegal office complex is made without parking

space? When an illegal commercial buildings are made in

residential zones?

When an unsafe multistory building is constructed using

substandard raw materials?A city's development should be for the benefit of all the

populace and not a handmaiden for a few.


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ICG Executive Summary And Recommendations

Clearing mosques and madrasas encroaching on state

land and dismantling those occupying public parks in

Karachi and other cities

Enforcing zoning regulations that restrict establishment

of madrasas with hostels in residential neighbourhoods


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Lawless Karachi

Karachi is strange city there is an active land mafia which

grabs amenity land to make illegal buildings almost at will.

Now the Nazims (elected representatives) , governmentbureaucrats and criminal builders have entered a unholy

alliance to take over public / park land for their own profit

Shehri has photos of parks in North Nazimabad taken in 2004and 2009 to give proof of these criminal actions


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How Shehri Got Involved

Shehri got to know about this matter after a

resident expressed despair on the criminal

occupation of parks in North Nazimabad.

Shehri wrote to the concerned elected

officials and also government bureaucrats

along photos as proof but to no avail. The

well wishers of Karachi are either

criminally involved in this land grab or

criminally incompetent.


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The Press

The newspapers have also written articlesabout the criminal land grab however there

is still a deafening silence from the elected

politicians who claim to love the city andrepeat empty platitudes of I Own Karachi.

The bureaucracy who are supposed to uphold

the law are looking on indifferently or are

actively involved with political and criminal

groups. How can one shame the shameless?


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The Story Of Gutter Baghicha

The story of Gutter Baghicha is a story of

corruption, greed, connivance, and land

grabbing by some citizens and officials in this

city of the oldest Park in Karachi, and a story ofapathy and lethargy by the rest of us who call

Karachi our home.

A story where the poor have no voice and ofdeafening silence and indifference in the

corridors of power.


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What Was Gutter Baghicha

(1017 Acres Park)

Gutter Baghicha forms the lungs of old Karachi, the largest

continuous open green space in this city of 18 million people.

Located in SITE Town along the Manghopir Road. A Karachi

Municipality map of 1892 shows that Plot No. K 28/108 is 118 years

old. At the time of partition, the Baghicha was referred to as 'thelargest urban forest in Karachi.

In 1969 map of Karachi, Gutter Baghicha is shown as a 'Municipal

Garden' spread over an area of 1017 acres. Technically, it is still all

government land, meant for public recreation.

Its appellation of 'gutter' originated from storm drainage channels

of Lyari River known as the Shone Drainage System.


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Corruption and Apathy

This is a letter from Brig (R)

Mukhtar Ahmed (Chairman

Enquiries and Anti-Corruption)

complaining that no action has

been taken regarding illegal

allotment of state land (GutterBaghicha).

There is a huge amount of

documentation on record

showing concerned government

officials helping criminals.

This shows the power of the land

mafia in Karachi and the

corruption of some politicians

and government officials.


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The murder of Nisar Baloch

On 7 November 2009 Nisar Baloch was leaving his house in

the morning. He was assassinated - gunned down in cold

blood.

Who was Nisar Baloch? Why was he murdered?

Nisar Baloch was a civil advocacy activist associated with

several NGOs and was a schoolteacher by profession. He

started his social career in 1976 by establishing a street

school, "Aap Ka Madressah," (your own school) where he

provided free education to children and adults of the area.


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In 1986, he established the Baloch Promotive Computer and

English Language Center in his area (Old Golimar Karachi). So

far, thousands of residents of the area received IT degrees

from the centre.

Apart from education activities, Baloch played a vital role in

serving the old settlers of Karachi. Currently, Nisar Baloch was

campaigning against the land mafia for grabbing the Tran-Lyari

Park (Gutter Baghicha) land in SITE Town.

The latest land grab (50 acres) involved Mr. Izhar Uddin, TownNazim of SITE town


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A i H Ri ht C i i


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Asian Human Rights Commissionhttp://www.ahrchk.net/statements/mainfile.php/2009statements/2286/

On November 6, the day before his murder, Nisar Baloch

addressed members of the press at a press conference

and clearly stated that the Citys Nazim (mayor) Mr.

Mustafa Kamal, as well as the Town Nazim of the SITE

town, had the intention to murder him. He stated further

that he would be murdered the next day by the

aforementioned people and by activists of the MQM

Altaf Hussain group. He blamed the party in ruling

alliance for their encroachment onto the land of Gutter

Baghicha.


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Asian Human Rights Commissionhttp://www.ahrchk.net/statements/mainfile.php/2009statements/2286

Clearly, the values which uphold law and

order in this country have deteriorated to a

state of abjection. When a man says in a press

conference that he will be killed the followingday by the mayors of Karachi and the SITE

town, and the police fail to provide protection

to him because of the political pressure theyare under, it is clear that the situation is

deplorable


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The only thing necessary for

the triumph of evil is for

good men to do nothing.Edmund Burke

shehri presentation dec 2009 abuse of state property in karachi

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