Daily Times

Sindh Minister for Information Saeed Ghani says the Supreme Court should allow the provincial government to regularise the buildings built in violation of rules, as it affected not thousands but millions of people.

Ghani said this while talking to reporters in Peshawar on Monday ahead of a rally to mark the party’s foundation day on Nov 30 (today).

Answering a question about the Nasla Tower, Ghani pleaded that this issue should not be viewed in “isolation”.

He said there were “minor violations” during construction work across the country. “Sometimes citizens make their homes on the state land and end up living there for 50 years,” he said.

Giving an example, he said there were two massive buildings constructed on the Constitution Avenue in Islamabad. “A notice was taken; there were some violations and the lease was cancelled. But because it concerned the apartments of some major people, including Prime Minister Imran Khan, it was regularised and fined Rs18 billion.”

Ghani further claimed that Imran Khan’s personal residence in Bani Gala was made in violation of rules and regulations, but it was fined and was regularised.

Moving on to a mega housing society, he said the Supreme Court took notice after it spotted some irregularities. “They were fined Rs460bn and the irregularities were regularised.”

“Now the question that arises is that ways have been found to facilitate projects which concern buildings, homes and properties of affluent people. That is not a bad thing,” he said, adding that an alternative should be sought when it concerns people’s homes.

However, the yardstick should be equal for everyone, the minister said.

Ghani noted that the Punjab government had issued an ordinance to regularise more than 6,000 irregular housing societies across the province and had also constituted a commission for this purpose.