Firdous Shamim Naqvi demands alternate place for KCR affectees

KARACHI: Opposition Leader In Sindh Assembly Firdous Shamim Naqvi on Friday demanded to provide an alternate place to the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) affectees before demolishing their houses in the anti-encroachment drive, ARY NEWS reported.

The opposition leader said that the residences of people should only be demolished when the process for laying down the rail network begins.

“The affectees should be provided a place for living in the government housing schemes,” he demanded and added that each family should at least be given a three-room residence.

He further called for stern action against those who allowed building these encroachments.

The Pakist6an Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) lawmaker, however, said that no action should be taken that violates the apex court’s orders.

Earlier on Thursday, the Supreme Court directed the Sindh government and Railways to remove all encroachments, including all multi-storeyed buildings that come in the way of Karachi Circular Railways, and ordered to revive the KCR.

We want to know what progress has been made over the matter,” the CJP asked.

Advocate General Sindh told the court that the KCR has been included in CPEC projects and the matter has been between the governments. “It is impossible to revive the past circular railway,” AG Sindh said.

There were 24 gates and most of them have been under encroachment, he further said.

“Why the KCR was not revived,” the chief justice asked the Secretary Railways. “Instead of its restoration the project was added in the CPEC,” the court remarked.

“The responsibility was taken by the government of Sindh,” the secretary said.

“We don’t want to hear this, tell the court why the decision was not implemented,” the court asked.

The court also warned of issuing the contempt of court notices to the Chief Minister of Sindh, Mayor Waseem Akhtar and the Secretary Railways during the hearing.