Prostitution is the sale of sexual services, a person selling sexual services of a prostitute. Those who focus on justice for sex workers involved in the law. If you are interested in culture, but you find that the sex looks and acts very similar regardless of the regulation of prostitution is, in effect, the scene – the environment – are generally the same in all parties, local stylistic differences. The health problems of the economy, labor market problems also remarkably similar across cultures and borders, that’s what I remember the experience of workers in Ghana, living in Thailand and France, and so on. Not long ago, I published the story vague but suggestive about the diversification of the sex industry in Pakistan is now a different story from there, like the old favorite “street prostitution” has changed over time, so that mobile phones are a big part. The journalist playing the sound is pleasantly neutral, and the note concludes with my views about the law. “In a country where sex is officially banned, it is usually only a few minutes note: 100 PKR = € 0.89 

In Punjab for numbers of several prostitutes in the country, Karachi and Islamabad, but will be the favorite places of operation. Many girls in Bangladesh, Punjab and Sindh in the interior of a nurse or other high security of supply in Karachi to identify the area. The women of Afghanistan and the former Soviet Union are also part of the sex industry in Karachi. 

The lesson that 90% of prostitutes are in the 15-35 years and its average life spans15 years. This is a great demand for girls and more than 35% of prostitutes in the sex trade before the age of 18 years, “says Bara preferred (the boss) and young people have said. 

I do not think that is a type of stories that used to digest Doshiza, Kawata, jahah Akbarah, TN Aaratahin Kahani Saspanis or tin, reading is true that the stage of life of hundreds of girls in Pakistan, most of the prostitutes in the caste low and lower middle class 40% were from the top, a new trend, trade is not about religious faith, but also affect the two sexes. 

The number of prostitutes in Karachi has increased by 50% in less than a decade, said many child prostitutes in the sex trade is between the ages of 13 and 15, but the large number of the years 20 and 30 years and a survey of urban prostitutes is not easy. 

If someone took a picture, a love scene classification R, which were a kind of naked and simulating sex, acting Masala SMS has become. No wonder it’s hot MMS Boult CD sales in the market and sold at 50 rupees. 

Once upon a time, send Nawabs of India in their young children to learn urdu Tawaeef and good manners. Now, changing trends, they send them to enjoy life and I have to say, “Nahi Kuch Hota Hain aabhi Bachao, Wadi Shadi ka baad Sweating hain Yes ga. 

A center of gravity, he said, began at the end of the obscenity of human heads. Others say they chose sex work after many things we could not follow. Sex work is better. For me, sex is not my first choice of paid work. Happens to be the best alternative available. It’s better than most company’s president. It’s better than a secretary. It is honest work, to my knowledge. 

If prostitution were legalized in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, rape, incest, domestic violence rate of nearly 25% would be reduced? 

Most prostitutes in Karachi do not want their public relations as Lahore, but they prefer to work in secret. Pakistani women are not publicly talk about prostitution, to find women in Karachi never know how this contentious issue is to look at home. 

Burning trash and cars on the shoulders is a common place in the city of Karachi, but now something else. It was noted that some owners of big cars, even a kid’s bike in the use of services prior to Korangi called Islamic citizens in key areas of the main road. Prostitution: the oldest profession with modern technology in developing countries, well-developed industry, with the name and brand services does not change. 

The clouds? Bulk of poverty increases the security of this work in the industry, not only AIDS but also other women lead hard work closely with people in the city of Karachi the commercial register. At times, prostitution was on the way to Nipper, limits movement at high speed. And ordinary citizens are not visible when crossing the main road, because they are busy trying to solve their own problems, so the chances are HIV-AIDS. 

The officials concerned? Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry is to check on the subject and the legalization of the industry and give them license to kill (our tradition and values) required. Just kidding, we are not in Denmark, found in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. 

The prostitutes who work in a variety of venues, from hotels to apartments. There are large differences in income. The prostitutes who earn on the road between 2000 and 40,000 rupees a day for 20 days, while the girls call 5000-100000 Pak rupees depending on the network. What usually phone cards, cigarettes, bread, medicines, taxi, fast, and go to the police and batah Pimp (Business Development and Relationship Manager). 

It is true that a person who buys one is legitimate to promote. For me there is more than humans, and is totally unacceptable. Prostitution has been through the exchange of economic development in Karachi, where the sex trade is increasingly controlled.

To analyzing the reforms in their true perspective, it would be appropriate to recall the situation exited prior to the launching of these structural reforms. At that time, the general perception was that the country’s tax administration is in efficient, vexatious and corrupt. So, a dire need was felt to improve tax system of the country. For this purpose, a task force was appointed in 2001. Which had adopted a two pronged approach aimed at policy reforms and the administrative reforms with the main objectives to simplify tax laws, facilitate taxpayers, eliminate discretion of tax functionaries, automate tax administration and the last but not the least to expand the tax bore.

Major initiatives taken under tax administration reforms program included organizational destructing of CBR, universal self assessment, minimizing interaction between taxpayers and tax collectors, simplification of procedure and processes, revised terms and conditions for employment in CBR and use of latest information technology skills.

2.         Milestones in the Reforms Program have been Achieved

Establishment of Large Taxpayer Unit (LTU) at Karachi and Lahore.

In its reform project CBR from July 01-2002, established a pilot Large Tax Payer Unit (LTU) at Karachi. The unit is bard on functional organization encompassing all the three domestic taxes i.e. sales tax, central excise duty and income tax. It has an open floor layout with a large reception and facilitation area for the taxpayers. The unit has revenue target which is approximately 20% of the total federal tax revenues, to be collected from around 600 Karachi based large taxpayers. The successful experience of establishment of LTU at Karachi and the position feedback from the community of large tax payers convinced CBR to move ahead wit the establishment of another LTU at Lahore, which has already started functioning and will be formally inaugurated this month. It is planned to inaugurate the third LTU in the federal capital the next financial year.

3.         Establishment of Medium Taxpayers Units (MTUs)

A model medium taxpayers unit started working in Lahore from. October 01-2002. The unit was set up to test the re-engineered income tax system based on functional organizational structure. The total taxpayer population of this unit is around 120,000.

The positive results experience in MTU, Lahore gave confidence to senior management in CBR to more ahead with the establishment of further MTUs across the country. The MTU at Lahore has successfully demonstrated the new income tax functional organizational structure for integrated unit catering to the specific needs of medium and small taxpayers.

Moreover, it has also given a fair idea of the level of automation and communication infrastructure required for launching further MTU. Therefore, CBR has setup for more MTU at Karachi, Rawalpindi, Quetta and Peshawar. Another MTU at Faisalabad will become functional in the next month.

In due course these MTU should be upgraded to form regional tax offices (RTOS) along with 7 more RTOs. These units will start functioning in the next financial year. The whole tax machinery of domestic taxes i.e. sales tax, income tax and central excise duty will be replaced by 12 RTOs located at all major cities of the country. It will facilitate taxpayers who will be served under one roof for the domestic taxes.

4.         Custom Administration Reforms

The comber son customs manual clearing system involving 34 verifications and 62 steps, with an average dwell time of more than eight days has been replaced by a modern, fully automated system working on 24 hours a day seven days a week basis. It is a modern, fully automated system based on self-assessment and risk management. A pilot project covering 25% of country’s imports and exports has already started functioning at Karachi International Customs Terminal. After successful launch of the pilot project, which has been widely acclaimed by trade and industry, computerized customs clearance system is being rolled out al over the country. During the year, eight model customs collectorates will be established with the replication of the same computerized customs clearance systems. Currently, 60% goods declarations, filed by importers, are being processed in four hours in same day. CBR is planning to process 100% declarations within four hours by March next.

5.         Universal Self-Assessment System

The obsolete income tax system has been abandoned and replaced by Universal Self Assessment. The returns received are from July 01-2002. In the USAS all taxpayers automatically qualify for self-assessment. The returns relieved are not to be examined in detail at the time they are received. A certain percentage of cases are selected later for audit based on risk assessment for various classes of taxpayers. The USAS for income tax has already emerged as a successful policy change. It has helped to minimize direct contact between tax officers and taxpayers. It will enhance voluntary compliance. The system has been designed to apply stiff penalties for willful evasion.

6.         Taxpayers Facilitation Centers       

With the more towards universal self assessment, introduction of large scale changes in tax laws and producer introduction of new forms and record keeping requirements and functional reorganization of income tax, the need for a dedicated tax payers facilitation and education setup has been realized. This will be user in a new era of productive cooperation between tax administration and tax payers for timely addressable of their inquires. At present these counters are functioning in the MTUs, however the function will be extended to 60-75 locations at together. Personnel bearing friendly disposition will staff these facilitation centers.

7.         Dispute Resolution Complex Karachi

This involves co-location of all indirect adjudication offices in single premise where the taxpayers and their law years are facilitated through improved facilities. The tax collectors also benefit from the consolidation of legal cases record and prompt access to them. This arrangement has facilitated the taxpayers and may of them have has already taken advantage of this system.

8.         Capacity Building of Tax Administration

The defined vision and mission of CBR envisages skilled and properly trained personnel to perform their work on professional lines. A new history in the civil services has been created. The first batch of fifty eight officers selected through the competitive examinations are presently undergoing training at the Institute of Business Administration, Karachi for MBA in tax management program. Similar training program for in service officer are also being initiated. The knowledge of modern concepts related to trade and industry will bring cultural change in the organization, aimed at providing a higher quality of service to the taxpayers. MOUS have been signed with reputed educational/professional institutions like UMS, IBA, and NUST etc to import quality training to the personnel of he organization.

9.         Tax Administration Reforms Program (TARP)

Formally inaugurated on 4th April, 2005 is expected to be fully implemented by 31st December, 2009 with a financial allocation of US $ 149 million which include IBRD’s $ 78.5 million, UK DFID $ 23.0 million and Pakistan government’s $ 23.10 million. The results so far achieved are very encouraging. Still lot more to be done establishment of 14 Regional Tax Offices of current calendar year would be another milestone towards facilitation of the taxpayers. These RTOs would deal al issues relating to income tax, sales tax and federal excise and appeal case less than one roof. It is hoped that TARP, once fully implement and institutional development, infrastructure up gradation, adopting responsive IT system, strengthen revenue services and promoting tax compliance culture.

The recent bomb blast in the Delhi High Court premises, just one kilometre near the Parliament proves that India is a soft State for the terrorists to target. The Talibans targeted USA and destroyed the World Trade Centre in New York in September 2001. With this, they killed around 3000 people of different nationalities. But USA retaliated violently and pounded Afghanistan with its military attack. Unable to withstand it, the Talibans buckled and were thrown out of power. A puppet regime headed by Hamid Karzai was installed in Kabul by the USA. After this, no more terror attacks were made on USA though attempts were made. These attempts were nipped in the bud.

Israel is proactive

Israel plays a proactive role in slaughtering the terrorists. If the Islamic terrorists kill even a single Jew, Israeli military targets and kills hundred Muslims – whether they are innocent civilians or terrorists. This induces a fear complex among the terrorists and they are watchful in their action.

India is neither USA nor Israel

India is neither USA nor Israel. India has no high military technology as that of USA. India is not a superpower also. Under the circumstances, India cannot act like USA. If it acts like the Americans, it will invite a backlash from the international community. India’s hands are tied. India has enemies around it mainly in the form of Pakistan and China, who are fomenting trouble inside India. India is also not Israel. Israel is very friendly with America and receives moral, military and materialistic support from it. But for this support, Israel would have been wiped out of the world map by the collective action of the Arab countries long back. India has no such support from any country. Therefore it will be imprudent and impudent for India to embark on an action plan bordering Israel.

India should target vulnerable areas in Pakistan

But even within such limitations, India can act intelligently. Pakistan is the main sponsor for all these terrorist acts. The terrorists are trained on Pakistani soil. They are financed by the Pakistan government, its army and ISI. The Talibans impart military training to the terrorists and send them inside India with an action plan. India in turn should use its resources and finance counter terrorism in vulnerable Pakistani areas like Karachi and Baluchistan. Karachi is the financial nerve centre for Pakistan. Without Karachi, Pakistan government and the people will be in limbo.

Sind province should be liberated

Karachi is already boiling with sectarian killings everyday. People are unable to lead normal life in Karachi. The Pashtoons and the Indian Muslims called Mohajirs are fighting for claiming Karachi. India can give its helping hand to the Pashtoons against Mohajirs so that the fight intensifies and life comes to a standstill in Karachi. India should try to liberate Sind province in Pakistan as a separate nation with capital as Karachi. That will save a lot of headache for India. Pakistan government will also be weakened very much.

Baluchistan also should be liberated

Besides Karachi, Baluchistan is a good target for India. Already Indian help had been provided to the secessionists there. India should provide more help so that Baluchistan also secedes from Pakistan with its capital Quetta. If these two things happen, Pakistan’s ability to send terror squads inside India will be weakened very much, if not stops altogether. Even with China’s support, a much weakened Pakistan is no threat to India in terror attacks.

China foments trouble in India indirectly

China is not playing a direct role in fomenting trouble in India. So far, there has been no report of any Chinese involvement in any terrorist attacks on India. But China is playing an indirect role by providing all help to Pakistan. Pakistan receives such massive help from China and then directly foments trouble inside India. Therefore, India should also indirectly attack China with clever strategies. Already trouble is brewing in Xingjian Province in China. The Uighur Muslims are suppressed by the Chinese government and they are searching for an opportunity to free themselves from the Chinese rule.

India should foment trouble in Xingjian and Tibet indirectly

Pakistan-based jihadists have indulged in terrorist attacks in Xingjian Province in recent times. China has openly accused Pakistani terrorists of interfering in its internal matters. This is a golden chance for India. India can provide ammunition and other help to Pakistani action groups not only for creating trouble in Karachi and Baluchistan, but also in Xingjian. Tibet is also boiling and the Tibetans are eager to liberate themselves from Chinese brutality. Therefore, India can help the Tibet dissidents to a great extent indirectly.

A war is costly for both sides

India cannot afford a war against Pakistan or China. Even if India is successful in destroying Pakistan and China with is nuclear weapons, India will also get wiped out in the process. Therefore a war should be avoided. India should follow the same policies of Pakistan and China and encourage terror attacks in these two countries as a tit for tat. America will also be interested in any trouble brewing in China. This is because China is the only country that is challenging the supremacy of USA as a superpower. If China breaks up, it will be sweet news for the Americans. There are reports that if the current growth continues, China will overtake USA as the biggest economic power in the world and its currency Yuan will replace the US dollars. Naturally Americans will be interested in anything that prevents this from happening.

The FBI and Homeland Security have issued a nationwide warning concerning al-Qaida threats to small airplanes, just days before the anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks.

Authorities say there is no specific or credible terrorist threat for the 10-year anniversary of the attacks on the planet Trade Center and Pentagon. however they have stepped up security nationwide as a precaution.

According to a five-page law enforcement bulletin issued Friday, as recently as early this year, al-Qaida was considering ways in which to attack airplanes.

The alert, issued prior to the summer’s last busy travel weekend, said terrorists have thought-about renting private planes and loading them with explosives.

“Al-Qaida and its affiliates have maintained an interest in obtaining aviation training, notably on small aircraft, and in recruiting Western individuals for training in Europe or the u.  s., though we don’t have current, credible info or intelligence of an imminent attack being planned,” in step with the bulletin obtained by The Associated Press.

The bulletin additionally says al-Qaida would really like to use sympathetic Westerners to induce flight training, then get them to become flight instructors.

Matthew Chandler, a spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security, described the bulletin as routine.

“We shared this info with our partners to spotlight the necessity for continued awareness and vigilance,” he said.

Aviation security is way tighter than it absolutely was a decade ago, however al-Qaida remains keenly fascinated by launching attacks on airplanes, believing massive attacks with high body counts are more likely to grab headlines.

Threats to small airplanes are nothing new. after the 2001 attacks, the govt grounded thousands of crop dusters amid fears the planes may well be utilized in an attack.

In 2002, U.S. officials said they uncovered an al-Qaida plot to fly a small plane into a U.S. warship in the Persian Gulf. And in 2003, U.S. officials uncovered an al-Qaida plot to crash an explosives-laden small aircraft into the yankee consulate in Karachi, Pakistan.

Rangers and police was not listening his shouting his exemptions and did not impress by his tears,and he got a bullet and left the life.

in the back of him his family was sad, but our supporter did not care. a small crime has destroyed a life.our supporter did not understand that he is taking a life.

they were no sorry but a fortune of died sarfaraz was not in vain, a person made movie all of this and forward this CD to all media, and media support, made solution of this case and at last the person which fired to sarfaraz Shah got punish and partner of his got everlasting prison.

Family of Sarfaraz shah was happy now and was thankful of media.

Speaking at the ceremony, Admiral Noman said that the launch of F-22P ship at KS&EW was a commendable accomplishment and a loud manifestation of the indigenisation policy of the government, especially attaining self-reliance in maritime defence capabilities.

Three other frigates — PNS Zulfiquar, Shamsheer and Saif — built in China under the 2005 agreement have already been commissioned in the Pakistan Navy.

Designed for a speed of 29 knots, the vessel`s main capability is anti-submarine warfare and air defence of a force operating at sea or convoy at a particular area. It is also capable of interdiction of hostile surface combatants and patrolling, monitoring and protection of the exclusive economic zone. Besides contributing to international security through UN peace-keeping and flag showing missions, the ship is competent to be used in search and rescue operations.

The 123-metre-long vessel has the capability of carrying surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles, depth charge system, torpedo, Z9EC helicopter, anti-air guns and Chaff IR launcher. The frigate is equipped with surveillance radar, fire control radar, integrated anti-submarine system, radar warning receiver system and laser warning system.

Acknowledging the efforts of Pakistani and Chinese engineers and technicians for the construction of the F-22P frigate at the Karachi shipyard, the navy chief congratulated the China State Shipbuilding Company, China Shipbuilding and Trading Company, Hudong Zhongua and Karachi shipyards for launching the ship as per schedule.

He said the occasion was yet another example of unparalleled Pakistan-China relations. Being an important milestone, the warship`s launch had not only strengthened the relations but also added colour and eminence to celebrations for 60 years of friendship between Pakistan and China, he said.

The naval chief appreciated the development work at Karachi shipyard that enabled it to meet challenges of constructing warships and attributed the success to sound planning of the KS&EW management and untiring efforts of its workforce.

Admiral Noman urged the ministry of defence production to continue supporting the KS&EW on their road to progress.

He emphasised building a strong navy capable of defending the country`s maritime interests. He said Pakistan did not possess aggressive designs but the sea trade routes, the vast exclusive economic zone and the international energy lines, which passed very close to the country`s coast, needed to be protected. This would be in the interest of not only Pakistan but of the entire international community, he added.

The construction of these ships started in 2005 after the signing of the contract between the ministry of defence production, Pakistan, and the China Shipbuilding Trading Company. Under the contract, three ships were constructed at the Hudong Zhongua shipyard of China, and the fourth was built at the Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works (KS&EW) under the transfer-of-technology arrangement.

Infrastructure at the KS&EW had been upgraded and HR trained in China and Pakistan to undertake the construction work. The first three ships had already been delivered to Pakistan Navy while the last ship launched on Thursday would be delivered as per schedule.

High officials of federal and provincial governments, armed forces, law-enforcement agencies, senior management of the Chinese companies and some guests from the corporate sector attended the ceremony.

THIS 18th-century adage finds particular application in the rampant maladministration obtaining all over Pakistan.

Rather than tackling problems under established procedures and rules, as and when they occur, our government functionaries procrastinate, seeking magical solutions that will satisfy everyone, until the heavy hand of the law descends on all.

They allow unlawful situations to deteriorate to the extent that addressing them becomes difficult or virtually impossible.

In March 2010, former Karachi Nazim, Naimatullah Khan, petitioned the Supreme Court against the shameless brazen conversion of amenity spaces all over his “sinking city” into private residential and commercial estate. He told the court that political, ethnic, sectarian and religious groups, in collusion with the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) and functionaries of the provincial government, had been and were in the process of occupying and usurping public land for pelf.Naimatullah submitted satellite images of encroached parks/playgrounds, impotent complaint letters addressed to the prime minister, the Sindh governor, chief minister, chief secretary and a string of politicians and administrators of the city and province.

Also submitted was comprehensive supporting documentation (news clippings, opinion columns, photographs).

He acknowledged the courageous role of the apex court in recent years in arresting such anti-public interest practices all over Pakistan — including Islamabad, Lahore and Murree — and prayed that Karachi’s amenity spaces be restored to designated master-plan use.

On Feb 2, 2011, a full bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, Justice Khalil-ur-Rahman Ramday and Justice Ghulam Rabbani, directed the CDGK to demolish, within 30 days, all encroachments and illegal buildings (including government and political party offices) in Karachi’s public parks and amenity spaces. When informed that religious structures also existed on these plots, the honourable judges observed that illegally built mosques could not be considered legitimate constructions.

The special force (supported by area police) and criminal courts established last September under the Sindh Public Property (Removal of Encroachment) Act 2010 could be well utilised to assist in this gigantic operation against amenity-space usurpers. Encroachers (and their partners in government and police) are liable to onerous fines and heavy prison sentences, aside from underwriting demolition expenses.

The Karachi scenario is worse than as described by Naimatullah. For instance, Webb Ground in Lines Area is still being utilised by the Makro-Habib mega-store 12 months after the Supreme Court handed down a decision that the amenity plot was not the defence ministry’s to lease, and that, in any case, government land could not be leased to NGOs at throwaway prices. The plot had been master-planned as a playground in 1983 and could not be used for commercial purposes.

When I talked to young Mustafa Kamal in 2008, the then city nazim frankly admitted that his party had settled and housed political workers on the parks of North Nazimabad. He asked why we were not tackling the increasing mosque encroachments on amenity spaces in the city, and stated that he would remove his party’s encroachments when the mosques were dismantled — and this from a mayor sworn under law to protect the takeover of public land.

Karachi’s Cantonment areas are not free from this menace. Some 20 per cent of a park adjacent to The Forum in Clifton is being used for parking cars from nearby illegal commercial structures: but for determined citizen action, the entire park would today be a multi-storeyed parking-plaza (we fail to understand the difference between ‘park’ and ‘parking’). Usmani Park on the seafront in Defence Housing Authority in 2005 was leased for a huge shopping-cum-entertainment-cum-residential complex before the high court stopped it under the ‘public trust doctrine’.

A 2009 series of columns entitled ‘I own Karachi — and can sell it!’, dealt with the escalating rape of amenity spaces in the city : the land-grab of over 50 park/playground plots including Gutter Baghicha, unlawful conversion by the City Council of numerous amenity spaces (2.5 acres at Clifton beach-promenade, 40 acres at Mahmoodabad sewage-treatment plant, etc), setting up of MQM party offices on 175 public plots, and auction of amenity land including public-building, dispensary, community-centre/garden, post-office, and car-shelter plots.

In September 2009, my friend and former chief secretary of Sindh, Kunwar Idris, wrote in this newspaper: “The nazim [Mustafa Kamal] of Karachi was heard complaining on television the other day that he could not prevent encroachments in Gutter Baghicha because the police wouldn’t come to his help. Surely he knows that both under the local government and police laws he is responsible for law and order and the chief of the district police is also answerable to him.

“Deputy commissioners had no better control over the police under the colonial laws than the nazim now has in Musharraf’s system. No deputy commissioner however could ever disown responsibility for encroachments. This writer was deputy commissioner of Karachi 40 years ago for four years. Those were not the best of times for the administration and Gutter Baghicha even then was a favourite target of professional encroachers. But they were able to nibble at the edges and no more. Losing 400 acres to them in four years signifies total lawlessness or connivance — neither should be tolerated.”

Enrique Penalosa, the outstanding former mayor of Bogota, Colombia, visited Pakistan in early-2009. He rightly brought up the future generations residing in congested cities bereft of parks, playgrounds and open spaces. What will they think of us, their forebears? That we were uncaring, selfish and rapacious, that our greed for money was never slaked?

He pointed out the obvious fact that in the future wealth and other assets can be created, but hoggishly devoured open spaces and parks once meant for the beneficial use of citizens can never be restored.

We must wish more power to the elbow of the Supreme Court!

FOUR weeks ago this column opened up: “This country, having developed double standards into a fine art for almost 64 years, has gradually realised that hypocrisy wastes time.

“After doing wrong, we spent ages attempting to conceal it, pretending we were genuinely interested in human welfare and compliance with law. We have now decided to throw caution to the winds, and do whatever we want, no matter who is watching. After all, what can anyone do about it?”

It erred — the Sindh Law Minister, Ayaz Soomro, has set the record straight. Apparently, somewhere along the line shame does crop up. There are those who realise that they are doing wrong, and clumsily attempt to put a favourable spin on their deeds to show that they are acting in the public interest: so they resort to hypocrisy.

Last week, Soomro presented an ironic piece of legislation in the provincial assembly entitled `The Sindh Protection and Prohibition [sic.] of Amenity Plots Bill 2009`, of which the following sections are pivotal:

Section 1(2): It shall come into force at once and shall be deemed to have taken effect on and from 2nd day of May, 1994.

Section 3: Notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being force or any judgment, order or decree of a court, no amenity plot shall be converted to or utilised for any purpose, but subject to the provisions of section 4 of this act.

Section 4: Whenever, if the provincial assembly passes a resolution to the effect that an amenity plot may be converted to or utilised for any other purpose, government shall, after receiving the resolution passed by the assembly, process the matter in the prescribed manner.

Section 5: The provisions of the act shall have overriding effect, notwithstanding anything contained in any law for the time being in force.

While this duplicitous bill pretends, in Section 3, to protect and prohibit the conversion or utilisation of amenity plots for any other purpose, it actually does the diametrically opposite: in Section 4, it gives the 168 `town planners` elected to the Sindh Assembly unfettered powers to arbitrarily transform any amenity plot to a different land use without giving any justification. Furthermore, under Section 4 this proposed law overrides any other existing law, and under Section 1(2) takes effect from May 2, 1994.

Why 1994? Well, it was then that an amendment was made to the KDA Order 1957 that actually did proscribe the misuse and conversion of amenity plots. Thus, the government now wants to `regularise` (we must remember the infamous 2002 `regularisation of illegal buildings` ordinance that has congested our city with hazardous residential and commercial high-rises) the numerous illegal conversions and encroachments on amenity spaces that have taken place over the past 17 years, especially the ones carried out during the past five years by the various political criminal elements aligned with the coalition parties of Sindh.

Attempts to officially undermine the KDA Order 1957`s protection of amenity spaces came in 1998, when the then Sindh governor, Lt-Gen Moinuddin Haider, promulgated an ordinance that stated: “Provided that any amenity plot vesting in the Karachi Transport Corporation [KTC], with prior approval of government, be converted to or utilised for any other purpose.” Citizens and bus users from all over Karachi, spearheaded by the NGO Shehri, protested. Then Chief Justice Wajihuddin Ahmed of the Sindh High Court came to the assistance of the people and stopped the government`s auction of 11 KTC bus depots.

This time, an `environmental NRO` has been floated in order to defeat the Feb 4, 2011 Supreme Court directive for Karachi`s City Government (CDGK) to demolish, within 30 days, all encroachments and illegal buildings (including government and political party offices) in Karachi`s public parks and amenity spaces.

The superior courts in Pakistan have jealously guarded the citizens` constitutionally-protected fundamental “right to life” under Article 9, which includes the right to a clean and healthy environment. How can such an environment be established if amenity-function spaces are to be gobbled up for pelf? The level of crime and violence in urban areas of Pakistan is escalating owing, in no small measure, to the adverse psychological and social pressures affecting the population, especially the poor. More recreation opportunities with parks, playgrounds, green belts and open spaces would go a long way to addressing these issues.

Do our legislators, who have sworn an oath to safeguard the constitution as well as the interests of their constituents, realise that all urban planning schemes of Karachi were carried out by the British before 1947 (population 0.4 million) or by the KDA before 1980 (population five million)? Today, city residents exceed 18 million (and counting). So Karachi needs many more amenity plots to cater to the recreational, sports, health, education, municipal, utility and infrastructure needs of its citizenry. We do not need laws that facilitate land-grabbers and corrupt politicians intent on swallowing up already inadequate master-plan public land and amenity spaces.

The people ask: where will our children play? Where will our schools and hospitals be established? Where will we bury our dead? Where will we treat our water and sewage? Where will we park our buses? Where will our families relax? Where will we worship?

Author-journalist George Orwell held that political prose was formed “to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind.” He believed that the writing of politicians was intended to hide the truth rather than express it, and the language used was necessarily vague or meaningless. But politicians sometimes inadvertently reveal their intentions, while trying to conceal them. The title of the amazing Sindh Bill No 7 of 2009 says it all: The Prohibition of Amenity Plots!

A similar situation is emerging with the Sindh bureaucracy. Former Karachi nazim, Naimatullah Khan, petitioned the SC about the growing occupation of city amenity spaces for non-conforming use, highlighting political party offices, housing and commercial structures, and provided a sample list of around 164 ravaged amenity plots. On Feb 2, 2011, the court gave the city government (CDGK) one month to remove the offending structures.

Under pressure from the coalition government in Sindh, the CDGK put into play an elaborate bluff. While demolishing union council offices, libraries, utility store rooms and other similar structures built with taxpayer monies, the CDGK has ignored the hundreds of houses and commercial structures erected on amenity spaces by political land-grabbers.

Further, as a diversionary tactic it submitted lists of hundreds of mosques/madressahs that have occupied amenity spaces over the decades, and requested petitioner Naimatullah’s assistance in dealing with the removal of these ‘sensitive’ encroachments.

Simultaneously, the PPP tried to present a bill in the Sindh Assembly to ‘regularise’ all amenity plot conversions over the past 17 years. In a letter dated March 2, 2011 addressed to the law minister, Ayaz Soomro, MQM’s parliamentary leader, Syed Sardar Ahmad, stated: “…The Sindh Protection and Prohibition of Amenity Plots Bill 2009, which had been withdrawn on my intervention in the session of April 2010, was once again withdrawn on 21st February 2011, on drawing your attention to our last decision.

“It seems that efforts are still being made to reintroduce the bill as is evident from the enclosed clipping from Dawn of 28th February 2011. Since the matter stands closed as the bill had been withdrawn in April 2010 and the issue has been raised by the media, kindly ensure that it is not reintroduced in the House.

“It had been settled that amenity plots shall never be converted for any purpose other than the purpose for which these had been earmarked in the original layout plans of the schemes under the law as well as by the rulings of the hon’ble high court and the Supreme Court. Any move to reintroduce it in the House shall be opposed by our party.

“You would appreciate that in view of the Hon’ble Supreme Court’s recent order to remove all structures from the public parks, how could the assembly be authorised to convert amenity plots for residential or commercial purposes?

“I do hope that bill no 7 of 2009, and for that matter any bill that seeks to violate the sanctity of the amenity plots, shall not be brought back for the consideration of the assembly, as such attempt shall be resisted.”

Earlier, when bill no 7/2009 was introduced, Sardar Ahmad on April 18, 2010 wrote to the minister emphasising that: “The big towns with sprawling population that is swelling everyday needs ‘lungs’ for the teeming millions.

It is interesting that in the year 1866, when a chaplain applied for the grant of plot PR-2, survey no 4-6 admeasuring 13,723 square yards for the construction of St Andrew’s Church on Preedy Street, Karachi, it was granted on condition that one-third area be used for church building, while two-thirds would remain a park/garden for ventilation and sanitation of the surrounding areas.

“Many land-grabbers, including clergy, have tried to utilise the open land for commercial purposes, but all their machinations were thwarted by me as commissioner Karachi and chief secretary Sindh. You will appreciate how concerned the collector and the commissioner in Sindh 144 years ago were to maintain open spaces for neighbouring residents, and we now want to authorise the assembly to utilise the amenity plots for other purposes. Is it not unfair on our part? Hence it is proposed to kindly withdraw the bill….”

The officials who have been ‘overseeing’ the SC-ordered demolition operations, DCO Mohammad Hussain Syed and Additional EDO (Revenue) Matanat Ali Khan, under whom the CDGK machinery and land-record department operates, are entirely aware of the exact nature of each and every encroachment on the 4,000-plus amenity plots in the city.

It is this very machinery that has ignored constant complaints from area residents, and has colluded with land-grabbers for pecuniary benefit. They are fully aware that 70 per cent of the encroachments on amenity spaces (the figure given to the SC) have not been removed.

Historical Google-Earth satellite-imagery shows the situations existing on amenity spaces on September 2010, January 2010, February 2009, April 2008, February 2007, February 2006 and as far back as February 2000, thus defining pretty much when various land-grabs took place.

In a few months, the judges will see which amenity plots were being occupied even while the hearings were going on in Islamabad, and while the CDGK was trying convince the court that Naimatullah’s public-interest litigation was not ‘adversarial’.

The grabbing/allotment of parks, playgrounds and amenity spaces has been sporadically continuing for decades, but the plunder has accelerated recently, and is now escalating into a free-for-all, SC case notwithstanding.

In Korangi’s Mehran Town, some 80 per cent of amenity spaces have been encroached for residential housing. Other areas experiencing such trauma include Surjani Town, Gadap (where satellite-images reveal a largely undeveloped scheme with the housing only on amenity plots), Baldia Town and North Nazimabad.

The SC needs the support and involvement of concerned citizens and residents. What do law-abiding citizens do? ‘Never say die’ and soldier on? For how long, we ask?

          All these developments force me to think about this issue and I find the solution of all these problems in only one thing which is the betterment of Justice System. A society can not prevail if it is based on inequality and injustice. For about last 67 years, we have been breeding this problem which has now taken the present exacerbated form. People do not believe in the obsolete and lethargic Justice System of Pakistan and as a consequence they have learnt to settle things themselves which leads to such tragic incidents. We are living in a country where rich is becoming richer and poor is becoming poorer. This inequality has sowed the seeds of hatred among the different sects of Pakistani Society. We have been made selfish and inconsiderate towards other human beings due to this prevalent problem of inequality.

          In the present system, people do not get justice and cases are prolonged for years. Moreover, due to different domestic problems like inflation, load shedding etc people have become frustrated and they release their anger through these means. The lingering War on Terrorism has created a mass hysteria in the masses and they have become skeptical about each and everything.

          We need accountability across the board to solve our problems. These incidents are damaging our reputation more than any other incident. We are being depicted as a wild and savage nation. The only remedy is bringing reforms in our Justice System so that people again start believing these institutions. And matters are settled in courts and not on the streets.