Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah. PHOTO: Radio Pakistan
KARACHI:
Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Thursday reaffirmed his government’s firm resolve to eliminate land grabbing and extortion from the province, saying that such illegal practices would not be tolerated under any circumstances.
The chief minister made these remarks during a meeting with a delegation of the Association of Builders and Developers (ABAD), led by Chairman Hassan Bakhshi. Home Minister Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjar, Mayor Murtaza Wahab, Chief Secretary Asif Haider Shah and other senior officials were also in attendance.
CM Shah said that he had watched ABAD’s press conference a day earlier and believed such issues should have been raised directly with the government rather than through the media. “I have issued clear instructions to divisional and district administrations that no form of illegal encroachment or land grabbing will be tolerated anywhere in Sindh,” he added.
The ABAD representatives briefed the chief minister on the positive results of a crackdown launched against land grabbers a few months ago, adding that no new illegal occupation had been reported on their properties since. They expressed their willingness to cooperate with the government to eliminate any remaining old encroachments, a proposal endorsed during the meeting.
The delegation also presented extortion slips (parchis) along with telephone numbers of individuals allegedly sending threats from abroad, highlighting the challenges faced by builders. CM Shah instructed that all cases of extortion or threats must be immediately reported to the relevant authorities, stressing that any such matter should be taken up directly with the home minister.
ABAD officials stated that around 10 extortion cases had surfaced over the past year. Police briefed the delegation on progress in these cases, while Home Minister Lanjar added that extensive operations had led to the arrest of 50 extortionists, with six criminals killed in police encounters.
CM Shah directed the police to ensure an immediate response to every complaint filed by ABAD and announced that, in coordination with the federal government, action would be taken against extortionists operating from abroad. “We have eliminated extortionists from this city before, and we will bring them to justice once again,” he said.
The provincial police chief added that multiple meetings had already been held with ABAD representatives, resulting in concrete actions, including the arrest of three individuals linked to an overseas extortion racket. It was decided that police would take strict action on every complaint registered by ABAD.
