Defence Housing Authority Real Estate

Water line damaged during replacement of oil pipelines: DHA

2007-12-06T19:41:00.000-08:00

KARACHI: The water supply line running under the median along Khayaban-e-Sehar in Defence Housing Authority (DHA) Phase VI was extensively damaged by an excavator during the replacement of parallel oil pipelines of National Refinery Limited (NRL). The incident caused contamination of the water supply line due to mixing of oil and water. More than 40 houses in the area have been identified whose underground water tanks have been contaminated with oil. The administrator of DHA has asked the water supply directorate to take immediate measures to address the situation, said a release issued Wednesday. Measures taken by DHA include provision of immediate water bowzers to the residents of affected houses for filling their overhead water tanks. The contaminated underground tanks of these houses are also being cleaned and repaired by DHA teams. Meanwhile, the DHA has started repairing the damaged water supply line for immediate restoration of water supply. Portions of water supply line at the junctions are also being replaced to ensure that there is not the remotest chance of contamination of water with oil. It is carrying out necessary coordination with the authorities of NRL to prevent the recurrence of such incidents. DHA has asked the NRL in categorical terms to give advance warning of any repair / overhauling schedule.

Staff reports adds: Along, Khayaban-e-Sehar more than forty houses fell prey. "We complained to the DHA authorities to immediately take action to solve the problem, as we cannot put this contaminated water to any use," said Ramesh Kumar, a resident. ppi

DHA to have second police station

2007-10-26T16:47:00.000-07:00

By Shafiq Sharif

LAHORE: The police have decided to have two police stations in Defence Housing Authority (DHA), Cantonment division superintendent of police (SP) Ahmad Kamal told Daily Times on Sunday.

Kamal said the old police station would be named Defence Police Station (A) and the new one Defence Police Station (B). He said the new police station would be set up in Phase-V. He said the population of DHA was increasing because of which crime was also on the increase. He said the two police stations would help the Police Department deal better with crime. He said the Defence police station registered about 2,000 cases every year.

He said the new police station's jurisdiction would include Phase-I, II and V. He said about 60 percent of crime was reported from the area under Defence police station (A). He said the police station currently had 78 constables, nine head constables, five sub-inspectors, five assistant sub-inspectors and one inspector of the Operations Wing. He said that it was difficult to deal with the entire DHA with this number of police personnel. He said that more cops and vehicles would be given to the new police station. However, he said the number of Mujahid Squad would remain same.

Major (r) Shabbir, the person in charge of DHA security, said the housing authority had asked for a new police station in the area, which the Police Department had approved. He said the new police station would help control crime and maintain law and order.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk

DHA issues notices to 100 residents on dog rules violations

2007-10-26T16:46:00.000-07:00

By Hina Farooq

LAHORE: Defence Housing Authority (DHA) has issued notices to its 100 residents in the last few months for violating the dog keeping rules.

DHA security officials said, "Dog keepers in the DHA will be fined or lose their pet if they violate the rules."

They said out of the total 15,000 houses in the DHA as many as five percent of the households keep dog(s). Officials said only a few households had registered their dogs as per cantonment board rules. According to the rules applicable since 1960, it is compulsory for residents to register their dogs, display the registration tag; vaccinate the dogs and chain their dogs' outdoors.

"However, majority violates this rule," an official concerned said. "We have not only received complaints of excessive dog barking, but they have also bitten people." He said, "Excessive dog barking that causes a nuisance is an offence. We can make an order requiring the reduction of excessive barking by a dog, can limit the number of dogs that can be kept on a premises."

He said, "Owners/keepers are responsible and liable for the actions and behaviour of their dogs at all times." Another DHA official said, "Neither DHA authorities nor the security officials will be liable for loss, damage or any kind of injury sustained by any human."

Another official said, "A few months back, two UK-returned persons were bitten by an unleashed dog. The injured registered a case and the dog's owner was taken to the court."

He said in another incident a maidservant was bitten by her neighbours' dog. A case was registered and the maid was rushed to the hospital.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk

Master Plan to entertain suggestions

2007-03-28T15:02:00.001-07:00

KARACHI: The high-ups of cantonment boards and DHA have appreciated the efforts of city government on the preparation of Karachi's Master Plan and observed that suggestions of cantonment boards and DHA will bring more positive changes in the metropolis.

A meeting was held at the office of City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal who briefed the officials of cantonment boards and DHA. The representatives of consultant firm also briefed the participants on different aspects of the plan.

The city Nazim said the Master Plan will not be property of the city government only but it will be available to the entire Karachi and will also highlight the problems of 17 million population of metropolis.

Kamal pointed out that presently there were various departments controlling city's municipal services and the same was creating problems for the citizens.

DHA annual prize distribution ceremony

2007-03-28T15:00:00.001-07:00

By our correspondent

KARACHI: The annual prize distribution ceremony of the Defence Junior Model School, Darakshan was held at the school premises at Sea View Township on Saturday. The principal Fahmeena Qaiser in her welcome address highlighted the achievements of the students in various fields.

She said that besides academics, great stress is laid on inculcating sound moral values in the students to make them good and dynamic citizens of the future. The chief guest, Administrator Defence Housing Authority (DHA), Brig Kamran Aziz Qazi said that the teachers have to prepare the young generation for the future by properly grooming and training them.

The students presented a variety programme on the occasion. It included tableaus, songs and short plays depicting patriotic and moral themes.

Qazi later distributed prizes among students who excelled in various academic and co-curricular activities. A large number of parents and DHA officials attended the function.

DHA starts development work in Phase VI and VII

2007-03-28T14:59:00.001-07:00

Staff Report

LAHORE: The Defence Housing Authority formally started the development of Phase VI and VII on Friday. Pakistan Army's engineer-in-chief, Lieutenant General Shahid Niaz was the chief guest on the occasion.

Defence Housing Authority administrator, Brigadier Fazal Nawaz Khan, said the occasion symbolised the DHA's commitment to complete the development of Phase VI in record time. He said the development contracts for Phase VI had been awarded to Saadullah Khan and Brothers (SKB), the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO), and the National Logistics Cell (NLC).

General Niaz, the chief guest, elaborated upon the development in the DHA in general, and in Phases VI and VII in particular. He said that the development of the two phases would herald a positive change in real estate development of the city's housing societies. He mentioned some of the projects that the DHA was undertaking including, foreign direct investment, Defence Raya Golf and Country Club, the DHA's adoption of the Charrar Village, the DHA optic fibre project and the establishment of a foreign university (the Pak-Austrian Technology University).

Niaz said that foreign and domestic investors were being offered land for establishing theme parks, shopping malls, five-star hotels, business centres, hospitals, and recreational facilities. This would improve the stature of the DHA and boost the national economy, he said. The general mentioned plans to build an overhead road over Walton Road. He also informed the gathering about the interchanges of the Lahore Ring Road that were planned at the Phase V and VI junctions. He said that the Pak-Austrian Technology University would be established in Phase VII. President General Pervez Musharraf laid the foundation stone on November 18, he added. He said a link road between Phase IV and V had been completed and would be opened for use in a month.

Military officials, real estate salesmen, and several DHA residents also attended the event.

Pakistan has great potential for investment

2007-03-09T06:58:00.000-08:00

Written by pub

ISLAMABAD, Mar 8 (APP): Pakistan is a land of opportunities and has great potential for investment in various sectors, said Lord of Landing and Managing Director Brunswick Bowling International, UK, Terence. C. Fawdington during the visit to Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry here Thursday.

Fawdington said that his company has over 30-years of experience of installing bowling courts around the world and now they are involved in installing courts at Lahore and DHA Rawalpindi.

He said that, not much recreation facilities, are available in Pakistan and having bowling game facilities in various cities, would not only provide healthy entertainment to the people, but wold also generate business and employment opportunities for the people.

He said that he has been visiting Pakistan for the last 12-year, and had never faced any security problem and that Pakistan is a safe place of investment and a lot of foreign companies are interested to invest in here, because of major uplift in its economy.

Nasir Khan President Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry said that public and private sectors are taking initiatives for providing recreation activities tho the people.

He said day to day routine of the people is becoming very hectic and they look opportunities for entertainment and recreation facilities, as such bowling courts will provide them excellent joy and physical exercise.

He added that even with very limited facilities about four Pakistanis from Multan have taken part in the international championship of bowling getting good scores, and with the availability of more courts, talented youth of our country, can bring international bowling title for Pakistan.

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Pakistan's Foreign Minister is almost a billionaire

2007-03-09T06:55:00.001-08:00

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri is the only cabinet member, whose assets are close to Rs 1 billion, as shown in his annual statement of assets and liabilities filed with the Election Commission of Pakistan, Tariq Butt a correspondent for an English daily reports.

The assets of all other full-fledged and deputy ministers represent an assortment of fortunes but none of them even crossed the Rs 350 million mark. Hardly any declaration seems to be a true reflection of the actual financial position of the cabinet members.

The assets of Kasuri and his wife include agricultural land in Kasur (Rs 5.7 million), Gulberg Lahore house (Rs 436 million), bungalow at Nathiagali on lease hold land (Rs 10 million), Zafar Ali Road Gulberg Lahore house (Rs 11.59 million), land in Mohra (Islamabad) (Rs 15 million), land at Tarogil Lahore (Rs 2.5 million), land at Tarogil Lahore (Rs 6 million), capital amount in business (Rs 363.8 million), investment in stock and shares (Rs 59.9 million), jewellery (Rs 1.23 million), cash in hand and bank balance (Rs 2.5 million) and FFA (Rs 1.2 million). They have nearly a dozen limited companies.

Minister for Industries and Special Initiatives Jehangir Tareen owns assets of Rs 345 million but has liabilities of Rs 109 million. His liabilities include loan from JK Agri Farms (Rs 50 million), loan from the Bank of Punjab (Rs 20 million), and loan from KASB Bank (Rs 39m).

His assets are a plot in Bani Gala Islamabad (Rs 6.7 million), under-construction Changla Gali house (Rs 39 million), a house in Officers Colony Multan (Rs 1 million), an apartment in Gulberg Lahore (Rs 11.75 million), 491 acres of land in Lodhran (Rs 27.6 million), house in Lodhran (Rs 4 million), agricultural equipment (Rs 6.3 million), investment in stocks and shares (Rs 45.4 million), Range Rover (Rs 0.68 million), Suzuki (Rs 0.45m) and Honda Civic (Rs 1.2 million), cash in hand and bank balance (Rs 3 million), deposit outside Pakistan (Rs 14.3 million), FFA (Rs 2.7 million), and other assets including account with JDW Sugar Mills (Rs 180m) in his son's name.

Sports Minister Mian Shamim Haider owns assets of Rs 162 million. He has assets brought or remitted from outside Pakistan (Rs 8 million), defence saving certificates (Rs 100,000), 1990 Mercedes (Rs 1 million), 1990 Pajero (Rs 700,000), jewellery (Rs 490,000), cash in hand Rs 325,800 and FFA (Rs 90,000).

He also owns a house in Gulberg Lahore (Rs 40 million), one-seventh share in another house in Gulberg Lahore (Rs 9 million), a house in Sheikhupura (Rs 2.2), office in Lahore (Rs 1.1 million), one-fourth share in Islamabad house (Rs 10 million), a shop in Lahore (Rs 1.8 million), a shop in Palace Arcade (Rs 1.4 million), three Kanals of land in Sargodha (Rs 3.2 million), half share in Faisalabad land (Rs 4.49 million), land at Raiwind Road, Lahore (Rs 1 million), and agricultural land in Sheikhupura district, and Shahkot (Rs 14 million).

His wife owns property worth Rs 47 million. It consists of one-seventh share in Gulberg Lahore house (Rs 9 million), Lahore office (Rs 1.1 million), one-fourth share in Islamabad house (Rs 30 million), half share in Faisalabad land (Rs 1.2 million), one-fourth share in Faisalabad land (Rs 1.6 million), land at Raiwind Road (Rs 1 million) and agricultural land in district Sheikhupura (Rs 3.3 million).

Haider has shares and investments (Rs 10.1 million), comprising Palace Enterprises (Rs 7.2 million), Loan to Indus Associated Consultants Limited (Rs 4 million), and defence saving certificates (Rs 100,000).

His wife has shares and investments (Rs 2.8 million) consisting of loan to Indus Associated Consultants (Rs 1.8 million), Palace Enterprises (Rs 250,000), Indus Associated Consultants (Rs 500,000), and Indus Engineering Consultants (Rs 115,000).

Women Development Minister Sumera Malik and her spouse own assets of Rs 145m. She has no jewellery and noted in her statement that the sources of her income in cash (Rs 14.9 million) were the sale of Pajero (Rs 0.900,000), saving out of agricultural income Rs 200,000), and sale of two plots for Rs10 million).

She has shares in Bank Al-Falah (Rs 7 million), cash in hand and bank balance of Rs 16.9 million, 9,500 Kanals of inherited agricultural land in different revenue estates of Mianwali district (Rs 39 million) and one Kanal of residential plot in DHA Lahore (Rs 4.5 million) (8x1 Kanal plots were allotted to her in lieu of her agricultural land measuring 32 Kanals in Tehsil and Mauza Lidhar at Lahore Cantonment by the DHA Lahore). She also owns one open plot of eight Kanals in Bani Gala Islamabad (Rs7 million) gifted by her mother.

Her spouse, Malik Tahir Sarfraz, owns 127 kanals of agriculture land including a village house in Mauza Padhrar, Khushab district (Rs 3 million), 646 Kanals agricultural land at Salaar Nagar Kasur district (Rs 25 million), two Kanals house in DHA Lahore (Rs 23 million), commercial property in Lahore (Rs 12 million) and one Kanal plot in Commoners' Town Islamabad (Rs 12 million).

Political Affairs Minister Amir Muqam owns assets of Rs 118 million. These consist of immovable property (Rs 62 million), M/s AM & Co (Rs 16 million), vehicles (Rs 8.9 million), 600 grams of gold (Rs 420,000), Rs 30 million as cash in hand and bank balance, and FFA (Rs 2 million). He wrote that he has mortgaged property worth Rs 45 million with the Bank of Khyber, Swat, and the Bank of Khyber, Peshawar, for getting performance security of Rs 80 million.

He has immovable property worth Rs 62 million, which includes 48 Kanals of agriculture land in Swat (9.6 million), 82 Kanals of agriculture land in Puran Shangla (Rs 8.2 million), four shops in Sandovi Puran (Rs 600,000), bungalow in Peshawar (Rs 15 million), Puran House, Sanota (Rs 10 million), Hira School Hajibaba Swat (Rs 3 million), share in FAC Sangota Swat (Rs 5 million), house in Mingora (Rs 1.2 million), Puran House Puran (Rs 6 million) and bungalow at Bahrain (Rs 3.5 million). His movable property comprised capital in construction firm (family members) (Rs 16 million).

Population Welfare Minister Chaudhry Shehbaz Hussain is owner of Rs 95 million assets. He noted that all assets in Pakistan were bought through foreign remittance. His Defence Lahore house is valued at Rs 12 million, a plot in Defence Lahore at Rs 8 million, 116 Kanals of inherited agriculture land in district Pakpattan (Rs 7.5 million), commercial shop in Lahore (Rs 4.5 million, London house (Rs18.5 million), a restaurant in Jeddah (Rs35 million), Al-Farsi Transport (Rs 8 million), Kia car (Rs 750,000), 100 Tolas of jewellery Rs 1 million) and FFA (Rs 500,000).

Labour, Manpower and Overseas Pakistanis Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan has valued his assets at Rs 65.5 million, comprising one-third share in a house in his village in Taxila (Rs 700,000), one-third share in a property in Taxila (Rs 650,000), inherited agricultural land in Attock and Rawalpindi (Rs 4.9 million), his wife's inherited two Kanals plot in Rawalpindi (Rs 5 million), 27.5 per cent share in a petrol pump (Rs 16.74 million), 25 per cent share in Five Star CNG (Rs 1.8 million), stone crushers (Rs 4.5 million), 2005 Pajero jeep (Rs 4.7 million), 2005 Mercedes (Rs 6.5 million) and cash and bank balance (Rs 20.4 million) and FFA Rs 0.1 million).

Religious Affairs Minister Ejazul Haq owns assets of Rs57 million, but no value has been mentioned about his six properties, which include 25 acres of land in Mianwali, 137 acres of agricultural land in Sheikhupura, 2.75 Kanals plot on Allauddin Road Lahore (in his brother Anwarul Haq's use), four Kanals plot at Westridge Housing Scheme Rawalpindi, E-7 Islamabad house (his sister Miss Zain Zia being the owner) and a house on Murree Road Rawalpindi.

He has a house in F-7/1 Islamabad (Rs 50 million), a plot in Lahore (Rs 3 million), share in property inherited from parents (Rs 1.5 million), advance payment for plots (Rs 1 million), investment in shares (Rs 600,000), insurance policy (Rs 105,000), 50 Tolas of gold (Rs 350,000), cash in hand (Rs 1 million), bank balance (Rs700,000) and FFA (Rs 300,000). He also has an unsecured loan of Rs 200,000).

Minister of State Mushtaq Ali Cheema owns assets of Rs 68 million. These comprise cash in hand and bank balance of Rs 3 million, FFA (Rs 200,000), country house in Faisalabad district (Rs 8.5 million), house in Faisalabad (Rs 3.6 million), 2 Kanals of land in Faisalabad district (Rs 3.6 million), shares in MSC Textile Limited (Rs 12.28 million), Shamshad Textile Mills (Rs 1.5 million), Dawn Textile Mills (Rs 500,000) and Fantasy Fabrics Limited (Rs 200,000).

Minister of State Ali Asjid Malhi owns assets of Rs 44m, comprising one square of inherited agricultural land in Sadiqabad (Rs 7.5 million), a house in DHA Lahore (Rs 30.5 million), a plot in the Senate Housing Scheme (Rs 600,000), Rs 200,000 capital investment in Bricks Plus Limited, wedding gift of $10,000 (approximately Rs 600,000), 2004 Toyota car on lease (Rs 1 million), 150 Tolas of gold, described as wedding gift, (Rs 1 million), cash in hand and bank balance of Rs 225,000 and FFA gift/self purchase (Rs 500,000).

'Pakistan Times' http://www.pakistantimes.net/2007/03/06/top10.htm

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Foreign investors to develop DHA Phase-8

2007-03-09T06:36:00.001-08:00

LAHORE: Foreign investors will develop the Defence Housing Authority's (DHA) Phase-VIII, Daily Times learnt on Wednesday. DHA officials said that the authority already had a contract with a Malaysian firm for developing the Defence Raya Golf Resort. Negotiations for Phase-VIII's commercial development are underway with the Indonesian firm, Ciputra, they added.

DHA officials revealed that negotiations between Ciputra and the DHA started three months ago and were almost complete. Representatives from Ciputra gave a briefing outlining their plans for Phase-VIII's commercial development to the Lahore corps commander, Shafaat Ullah Shah, in March. They said that the company would probably be awarded a contract for developing Phase VIII's commercial areas. Shah appreciated Ciputra's plans and assured the cooperation of the DHA management's if the contract was awarded. He said that the negotiations would be conducted with a high level of transparency. DHA officials said that foreign investors had expressed interest in the commercial projects announced by the authority. Several investors are expected to deliver presentations on Phase-VIII to the commander soon, they added. President General Pervez Musharraf attended the groundbreaking ceremony of the Defence Raya Golf Resort in November 2006. The resort has an integrated golf course and luxury residences. It is a collaborative project between DHA and a Malaysian company, Bandar Raya Developments Berhad (BRDB).

DHA officials said that the Lahore Corps Commander was interested in developing DHA through foreign investments. ISO award: The DHA has been awarded ISO certification in housing development. It is Pakistan's first housing society to get the certification. ali waqar

dailytimes.com.pk

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Modern cul-de-sac concept in DHA plan

2007-03-09T06:32:00.001-08:00

KARACHI: The Executive Board of Defence Housing Authority (DHA) has approved incorporation of the modern cul-de-sac concept in DHA Phase-VIII master planning. The contemporary urban planning concept envisages replacing grids and intersections with closed blocks, thus enhancing security and facilitating traffic flow in the area.

This decision was taken during a meeting of the DHA Executive Board which was presided by Commander V Corps and the President, Executive Board, DHA, Lt.-Gen Ahsan Azhar Hayat. The meeting was held at the DHA's main office on Thursday.

The meeting reviewed the progress of DHA's ongoing development projects and took some important decisions.

The executive board was informed that the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) and the National Logistics Cell (NLC) were carrying out fast track construction of major roads network in DHA Phase-VIII while the infrastructure developments of one of the sectors was being carried out by a Chinese company.

Phase-VIII, which constitutes 45percent of the DHA is likely to be developed in three to five years.

The Corps Commander directed the DHA to complete the development projects ensuring highest professional and technical standards. He asked the DHA to cater for provision of storm water drainage on all major roads by incorporating natural flow of water through gravitation in their design specifications.

The Executive Board gave approval for readjustment and realignment of some residential plots in DHA Phase-VIII for introduction of cul-de-sac concept in town planning.

The Executive Board accorded permission for opening construction in DHA Phase-VII Extension after 30 Apr 2007. The Board was informed that 80 percent essential utilities had been provided in the area and the remaining 20 percent would be made available by the end of the year.

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KESC installs new power feeder for DHA

2007-03-09T06:31:00.001-08:00

KARACHI: The newly elected MQM member of the National Assembly Syed Akhlaq Hussain Abdi, on Monday inaugurated a new feeder at the Defence Housing Authority Grid Station.

"The feeder has been installed at a cost of Rs16 million to provide relief to the consumers of DHA Phase-V, VI and VII." Speaking at the inauguration, the MNA said the installation of the new electricity feeder had materialised yet another promise of the elected public representatives for providing relief to the masses.

Appreciating the efforts of KESC engineers, Abdi said the task of system overhauling, initiated by the KESC, was laudable and the utility was constantly working to improve the power supply system. He said the addition of the power supply feeder would ensure uninterrupted and stabilised power supply to the consumers. The senior officials of the KESC, present at the inauguration informed the audience that the utility had allocated Rs162 million for the installing of five feeders in Defence and Clifton areas.

They said the installation of other four feeders for Clifton Blocks 1, 4, Gizri Village, Darakhshan, Sea View and DHA Phase-V, Phase-V extension and VI, was under progress and these feeders would be functional before the next summer.

The KESC General Manager Region-III Rafiq Khanzada, the power utility's Deputy General Manager Development Arshad Iftikhar, Deputy General Manager Performance Anwer Shiekh, Manger Operation Talat Qureshi and Manager Network Hasan Raza were also present at the ceremony.

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Untreated sewage being released on to Clifton beach

2007-03-09T06:31:00.000-08:00

CCB says the treatment plant has reached its capacity

By Qadeer Hussain

KARACHI: Raw sewage is being discharged from a treatment plant in DHA into the sea as the plant has been malfunctioning for some time now, investigations by The News have revealed.

The sewerage treatment plant, which is run by the Clifton Cantonment Board (CCB) at Sea View has stopped functioning properly say its operators and that is why untreated sewerage is being discharged "occasionally" into the sea.

The discharged sewage runs across Seaview and Clifton beach and is a source of concern for the public. The plant was inaugurated by the former administrator of Defence Housing Authority (DHA) Brig Maqsood Hussain on December 20, 2003. The authority concerned built 17 sewerage tanks near Masjid Usman Ghani, besides 'Caffeine' a restaurant which was previously known as Kublai Khan.

This treatment plant was initially meant to treat sewerage from a few phases of DHA so that the sea would not be polluted by directly discharging the sewerage into it, say officials. The plant functioned properly in its initial years but, later, it developed some problems owing to which it could not treat sewage water and was then converted into a storage area where sewage water would be held and then resupplied for watering gardens in DHA areas.

"The tanks serve now as a storage place where sediments are allowed to settle and then the clearer water is supplied through tankers to parks and gardens in the vicinity," said one official.

One of the reasons for the failure of the plant to function is cited as the absence of the chemicals and substances that were used to clean the sewage water before it was discharged in the sea. Another reason, say officials, is that the amount of sewage that the plant is expected to process is well beyond its capacity.

These days, the plant has become a storage facility for sewage water. When the sewerage in the tanks start overflowing, the untreated sewage is released into the sea. This sewerage water is primarily used for watering the gardens within the vicinity of DHA through tankers. The tankers are supplied with sewerage water through these constructed sewerage tanks - mostly during the daytime.

When tankers are not being loaded with the sewerage water, the personnel of CCB deputed at this treatment plant open the valve of tanks and allow the sewerage to flow into the sea. If they don't open the valve then the sewerage tanks would start overflowing, they argue, and this would lead to sewage water on the main roads.

The danger to public health comes from the fact that the beach on which this untreated effluent is released is where hundreds of people gather and swim or simply wade. An official of CCB when contacted to get the version on this story said that the total sewerage water was not going untreated into the sea.

He added, however, that the sewerage which comes from Tauheed Commercial Area is beyond the capacity of the plant. He said rest of the sewerage is properly treated through the plant. He claimed that CCB is planning to enhance the capacity of this treatment plant so that thorough sewerage could be treated effectively.
thenews.com.pk

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NA passes two bills, seven ordinances tabled

2007-03-09T06:30:00.001-08:00

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Friday approved two bills while Speaker NA referred seven ordinances tabled by the Government to the concerned NA standing Committee.

Federal Law and Justice Minister Wasi Zafar tabled the National Database and Registration Authority (Amendment) Bill 2006 which was approved by National Assembly with overwhelming majority.

NA passed the second bill named Draft Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Lower House with heavy majority. Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr. Sher Afghan Khan Niazi presented the bill.

Likewise, Federal Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr. Sher Afghan Khan Niazi tabled the Defence Housing Authority Islamabad 2005 bill but did not approved by Speaker NA Chaudhry Amir Hussain because the debate were continued on it.

The seven ordinances include National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) Amendment Ordinance 2007, West Pakistan Regulation and Control of Loudspeakers and Sound Amplifier Amendment Ordinance 2007, Pakistan Engineering Council Amendment Ordinance 2007, Banks Nationalization Amendment Ordinance 2007, Institute of Space Technology Ordinance 2007, Pakistan Penal Code Amendment Ordinance 2007 and Defence Housing Authority Islamabad Ordinance 2007.

The ordinances was also presented by Federal Law and Justice Minister Wasi Zafar which were referred by Speaker NA Chaudhry Amir Hussain to concerned NA standing Committee.

http://www.paktribune.com/news/index.shtml?170025

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Dubai-istan

2007-03-09T06:28:00.000-08:00

Traversing the roads that lead towards the Bundal and Budoo Islands is a uniquely Karachi experience; that said, you should enjoy it now -- it won't be there much longer. In the village of Ibrahim Hyderi, populated by local fisherfolk for about six hundred years now, there are small bazaars set up by the street side, miniature shrines named for a Sufi saint of the sea, and one room cement stores hawking everything from butchered lamb to pan masala. Soon, Ibrahim Hyderi and its residents will be an eyesore.

Development is happening, progress is underway and these poor Pakistanis will soon to have to move out lest they cramp the style of the big capitalist push afoot.

In all these years the village of Ibrahim Hyderi has yet to be regularised by the Sindh government, the tenants never received deeds or leases to their homes -- imagine their shock when Dubai property construction giants Emaar showed up last year and were given an immediate lease for the Bundal and Budoo Islands.

In a deal negotiated by the federal minister for ports and shipping and the prime minister (a banker, naturally) Emaar will begin a Disney-like adventure on Bundal and Budoo Islands. For the mere price of 43 billion dollars, Bundal and Budoo Islands will be transformed into luxury resorts. There will be hotels, there will be apartment complexes, and in a move apparently insensitive to irony there will even be theme parks. "It will be just like Dubai," gushed Ashfaque Hasan Khan, an aide to Shaukat Aziz, and it will be garishly christened 'Diamond Bar Island'.

Thousands of fisherfolk will not only lose access to the islands, but will also lose their right to fish in the waters surrounding the area. Circumventing the 12,000 acres of land, and the $50 million dollar bridge that will be built connecting Emaar's mega resorts to Defence Phase VIII, will not only be time consuming for the fishermen but effectively impossible. They have been informed that due to security reasons, or more likely aesthetic reasons, their presence will no longer be tolerated in the open waters. "The big men staying at those hotels will need security from the poor" said Majeed Motlani, the Karachi chapter president of the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum. Mr Motlani was wearing a black armband on the sleeve of his white shalwar kameez and shook his head as he spoke to me by the Ibrahim Hyderi dock dotted with light blue fishing boats. According to the PFF, more than 200 million people around the world, mainly in developing countries, make their living as fisherfolk. Pakistan is no exception, there are estimated to be around 200,000 fisherfolk in Karachi.

Pakistan's ecosystem will also be devastated by Emaar's 'development'; it is not just the fisherfolk who will be sacrificed for the monstrosity of Diamond Bar Island. In the Pakistani waters of the Arabian Sea there are approximately 300 islands. These islands are populated not by people (only a 20 per cent inhabitancy is recorded) but mainly by mangrove forests. Mangrove forests are made up of trees and shrubs, typically in tropical or sub-tropical areas and tend to thrive in saline waters. They are nursery areas for crustaceans, shellfish, and provide sanctuary for many other living organisms. My brother Zulfikar was especially interested in the environmental damage done to the islands, parts of which have already been bulldozed to remove any signs of nature. The fisherfolk will be affected by the destruction of the mangroves because a sizable amount of shrimp is found in mangrove areas. The rest of us will be affected in far more ominous ways.

As we walked along the islands -- where VIP bathrooms had already been built in anticipation of an Emaar inauguration ceremony -- Zulfikar reminded me of the 2004 tsunami; mangroves act as a barrier between land and sea currents (he is especially conversant in environmental lingo, I had to go home and look up half the things he was talking about). Without them, the casualties of the South East Asian Tsunami would have been in the millions, not thousands. Zulfikar was equally indignant over the fact that by allowing Emaar to rid us of our natural landscape of mangrove forests, Pakistan would be breaking the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, which it is a signatory to, along with 152 other countries. The 1971 treaty binds its signatories to protect and conserve natural wetland areas, recognising their fundamental ecological, economic and scientific value. We have already cheated on Ramsar many times over the years; 55 per cent of our mangrove forests from Hub to Bhambore have already been destroyed and we're acting as if we're on a schedule to wipe out the remaining 45 per cent.

And then, as always, there is the issue of money. Speaking of the $43 billion dollar price tag of islands, Haji Shafi Jamot, a former chairman of the Karachi district council said -- almost smiling: "The fisherfolk were prepared to say 'ok, take the money and use it to pay off Pakistan's foreign debt, we'll sacrifice that for Pakistan'. But the problem is that no one knows where this money will be deposited and how it will be invested". I wanted to add "or with whom?", but Mr Motlani interrupted my silent vitriol and spoke up. "When the land at Gizri Creek (also near Defence) was reclaimed the money from so called "development projects" was divided 30 per cent to the Sindh government and 70 per cent to the Defence Housing Authority". He paused long enough for me to remind you here that the Defence Housing Authority is affiliated with the Pakistani Army. "But no reports have been released informing us -- the fisherfolk -- how this $43 billion dollars will be dealt with. Why is there zero transparency? Why is there always zero transparency?"

It goes without saying that the Sindh government is offering no compensation to the fisherfolk for the loss of their commerce. The government remains mum on the subject, hoping that their association with a super conglomerate such as Emaar will lend some credibility and legitimacy to their whole sale vending of Pakistani soil. Emaar's revenue and net profit for 2006 was upwards of $2 billion dollars, which is surely to be expected from the company named the "best developer in the UAE".

Besides the thirteen-year project that is Diamond Bar Island, Emaar is also teaming up with the haute couture fashion house Giorgio Armani to build ten Armani hotels and resorts worldwide, including locations in New York, Shanghai and Tokyo. If that isn't development, I don't know what is. Bankers' and ministers' hearts alike must be fluttering at the thought of an Armani hotel in Karachi; perhaps it can be built over some razed Katchi Abadis.

Passing through the streets of Ibrahim Hyderi on my way home I saw that the bazaars were winding down after a day of business, children were walking away from the shops and towards their houses, and the open air fish market was arranging fresh seafood caught moments earlier. There was one more thing that caught my eye -- grafitti spray painted on the walls. It was black and it read "Fishermen unite -- Save our islands".

Email: fatima.bhutto@gmail.com

thenews.com.pk
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32 citizens rally against DHA beach project

2007-03-09T06:27:00.001-08:00

KARACHI: A group of 32 citizens supported a statement of concern (issued by 22 people earlier this month) regarding the Defence Housing Authority's Beach Development Project.

According to a statement issued by the 32 professionals Tuesday, the Beach Development Project "completely usurps the beach with activities that the poorer strata cannot afford, and restricts their access to the beach." These activities include theme parks "whose entrance fee by experience of similar parks we know are too high for poor families, a railway track along the beach whose fare is estimated at Rs 90 per trip, expo centres, condominiums (which will be inaccessible for security reasons), exclusive clubs, and most surprisingly, multi-storey car parks on the water's edge.

"We recognise the need for these facilities for the elite but not at the expense of losing the beach for the citizens. As such, we strongly recommend that the provisions of the Karachi Coastal Management Plan 2000, prepared by the then Karachi Development Authority (KDA) with assistance from the United Nations, be followed and a construction-free zone of 50 metres between the high-water mark and construction be maintained," the signatories said. This zone, they said, should be accessible to the public. "In this connection it is important to note that 4,655 people belonging to 73 CBOs and NGOs from all over Pakistan and residents of 89 lower and lower-middle income locations in Karachi have signed a statement voicing concerns similar to ours regarding this project. We are also very concerned that this project will further fragment an already fragmented city by eliminating its most accessible and important multi-class public space," the statement concluded.

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Karachi beach is the property of people'

2007-03-09T06:23:00.000-08:00

KARACHI: A development project has been started by the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) along the 14-kilometer-long waterfront at Sea View. However, a movement called the Sahil Bachao Tehrik is against the projects.

"People will not have access to the beach any more," said a Sahil Bachao Tehrik press release issued Wednesday. "Thousands of people would be unemployed. It would create environmental problems as well, and the citizens of Karachi will be deprived of affordable, natural recreation."

They have collected 4,655 signatures from all over the country to protest the project.

dailytimes.com.pk

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Luxury housing projects to attract huge investment

2007-03-09T06:21:00.001-08:00

By Muhammad Yasir

KARACHI: The real estate sector is witnessing a boom with land prices increasing persistently amid growing number of luxury housing projects being planned in metropolis, which have enhanced the property rates of whole localities.

In an interview with The News, Sami-ur-Rehman director Real Estate Bank a property consultancy firm said investments in current choice areas would plunge with the development of luxury projects that are likely to open new vistas of investments for medium to long term investors.

Reciprocally with decline in investments the property value in present posh localities would ease and ebb to fair price levels.

He said people seek secure and beneficial venues for investment and these projects qualify on both counts strengthening the investors' confidence.

He was quite confident that investors would prefer to stake their money in the upcoming luxury housing projects instead of those in Dubai.

"A substantial fall would occur in the flight of capital," he said.

Referring to the features of upcoming projects he said they would be fully equipped with ultra-modern and ultra-advance facilities of life with all desired entertainment resources and security measures, which are the major concern of investors.

Sami informed that these projects would introduce a new system in real estate business that would enhance the importance of property consultants in investment related issues.

Regarding speculation in property he said open plots of Defence Housing Authority (DHA) are the choice area of investors due to secure title.

Any fluctuation in the value of real estate affects the ratres in DHA phase VIII and then the impact goes on to DHA phase VI, Bahria Town and other investment oriented localities.

He mentioned the imposition of Capital Value Tax (CVT) and revision of valuation table by the Sindh Government could not halt the speculation in real estate sector.

Investors are willing to pay more duties on land he added.

Sami said the overseas investors are very keen to invest in the real estate particularly in the posh localities of metropolis due to safe and high premiums in shortest time.

He informed that instead of keeping it in banks people are investing their money in real estate.

These people keep rolling their cash in sale and purchase of open plots preferring profits on available margins instead of long term holding.

Such practice has enhanced the number of transaction and hiked up the real estate value in last two years.

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DHA's waterfront project condemned

2007-03-09T06:21:00.000-08:00

The DHA waterfront project has been given a critical assessment by a press release that was issued by "Sahil Bachao Tahreek" (save the cost movement). The people owning plots and houses along the beach, it said, will no longer be able to view sea due to the waterfront project of Defence Housing Authority (DHA).

This means that after the DHA project is implemented, the people of Karachi will not only be unable to access the beach in its natural condition, but will no longer be able to see the natural life that visits the beaches during the winter season.

In addition, the Waterfront Project of (DHA) would make free movement on the coastal belt of Karachi impossible for citizens and thousands of people would be rendered jobless.

The release said that DHA has started constructional activities on the 14-kilometre-long coastal belt of Karachi, which would increase environmental pollution and the citizens would be deprived of a free-of-cost natural recreation spot.

"The coasts of Karachi were ours and they would remain ours," added the press note.

According to the press release, 73 social organizations and 4655 citizens belonging to Karachi, Dadu, Mithi, Sibi, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Qasoor, Bahalpur, Islamabad, Rahimyar Khan, Qalat, Shahdad Kot, Johi and that of some cities are signatories of the Sahil Bachao Tahreek campaign. According to these persons, the construction work on the 14-kilometre belt under the banner of "Waterfront Project" has snatched access to the coast from the people, therefore should immediately be stopped.

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DHA parents love men in uniform

2007-03-09T06:17:00.000-08:00

LAHORE: Many residents of the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) prefer their daughters' spouses to be Pakistani Army officers, and not doctors and engineers, Daily Times has learnt. Of the seven families randomly sampled by the Daily Times, the majority wanted their daughters wed to captains or majors. The middle aged Mrs Sheikh said, "I find that it is best to marry daughters to army officers because they can live independently of their in-laws and you don't have to worry about them. A businessman can go bankrupt, but the wife of an officer will always enjoy amenities and respect." Rubeena Raza, the wife of Colonel (r) Shafaat Raza, provided a different insight: "With five daughters at home, the security that an army officer can provide his entire family becomes a necessity," she said. "The busy working years of an officer allow the wife to live independently, and the pension plan that was provided to us once Shafaat retired allows us to live comfortably even now," she added. Mrs Raza said her youngest daughter had recently graduated from the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) and had not been interested in marrying an officer, but was quickly swayed when she considered the benefits. Matchmaker Sufi Ahmed runs a matrimonial service in DHA. He told Daily Times, "Every second client from DHA is looking to wed their daughter to an officer. I have married off 40 in the past year." Chaudhry Zia, a matchmaker from Cantt, added, "The personals of newspapers are filled with the heading 'army officer available' because of the increasing demand." He attributed this surge to the privileges enjoyed by the officers. "They do not get hassled by the police, or the judiciary. Not to mention the subsidised commodity rates, free living, petrol allowance and the medical facilities that are offered army officers. Also, they pay less to travel around the country", he elaborated. He pinpointed Cantt and Defence as places where the trend was most apparent. hina farooq

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NA adopts new rules

2007-03-09T06:14:00.000-08:00

By Raja Asghar

ISLAMABAD, Feb 23: The National Assembly ended one of its most disorderly sessions on Friday after passing new rules, which dissenters said were aimed to browbeat the opposition, on a day that saw the ruling party joining religious parties in a veiled religious decree against anti-militant attacks in tribal areas.

The last day of the 18-day session was also marked by an hour's suspension of proceedings due to lack of quorum and a rare halving of the question hour by the speaker angered by the absence of some questioners.

While the People's Party Parliamentarians, forming a major chunk of the opposition, continued its partial boycott of the proceedings for the fourth day, the house hurriedly passed without any debate a bill providing for one year's extension to the National Database and Registration Authority chairman's three-year tenure before a controversial draft to create a Defence Housing Authority in Islamabad was left unfinished amid opposition threats to break the quorum.

During some confused proceedings in the presence of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, the house also passed a resolution condemning the murder of Punjab Social Welfare Minister Zille Huma on Tuesday in what it called an "extreme form of terrorism" and demanded a speedy trial of her killer under the Anti-Terrorist Act.

In what was a day of some symbolic concessions of the ruling coalition to the religious parties, the house passed a resolution sponsored by some women members of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal that condemned what it called "acts of terrorism" in the Damadola village of the Bajaur tribal area and in Waziristan, demanded payment of compensation for the dead, including women, and said "the perpetrators of such acts are outside the pale of Islam".

The resolution, moved by MMA member Aisha Munawar, did not identify those who carried out such acts. But the reference seemed directed at missile strikes of recent months in Bajaur and Waziristan that were blamed either on the US-led forces in neighbouring Afghanistan or owned by the Pakistani military as part of its operations against foreign militants and their local harbourers.

No objection was raised from the ruling coalition to the resolution when it was put to vote, before Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain read out a presidential order proroguing the house after what was the first session of its last and fifth parliamentary year ending on November 15.

In an earlier concession, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sher Afgan Niazi agreed to incorporate an amendment to the house's new rules of procedure from MMA member Maulana Mohammad Khan Shirani that prohibited moving any legislation contrary to Quran and Sunnah, although such a bar already exists in the Constitution.

A note of dissent by three opposition members of a 17-member special committee on the rules of procedure and conduct of business said some rules, such as suspension of a member, were being "modified to browbeat the opposition into submission" and that these would prove counter-productive because of the country's "fragile democratic institutions".

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The New Land Barons

2007-03-09T06:12:00.000-08:00

By Ayesha Siddiqa

Abdul Karim waited in the heat outside the Supreme Court for his case to be heard. Sitting miles away from his village in Bahawalpur, the poor peasant was contesting his right over three kanals (0.375 acres) of land that had already been awarded to him through an administrative decision. He had tilled the land for years and he was deemed to be the rightful owner.

However, the land was subsequently transferred to Brigadier (Retd.) Muhammad Bashir, through another administrative order. The transfer of land to the army brigadier was part of the 33,866 acres of land given to the Army GHQ in 1993 in Bahawalpur by the provincial government. The Punjab government had transferred the land without checking its title. Out of the total land given to the army, the said brigadier got 396kanals (49.5 acres) of land, out of which about three kanals belonged to Abdul Karim.

Brigadier Bashir contested Karim"s ownership in the High Court, but the court upheld Karim"s title. Not satisfied with the court"s decision, Bashir filed an appeal with the highest court in the land. The Supreme Court of Pakistan also upheld Abdul Karim"s ownership.

In its eagerness to favour military authorities, the district government representatives had given Abdul Karim"s land to the army. Moreover, the local administration sided with the brigadier to disprove the respondent"s claim over the stated land.

The Supreme Court admonished the district collector for acting capriciously and for arbitrarily transferring land that was marked as land not available for allotment. While upholding Abdul Karim"s right to cultivate the land, the court also reproached the retired brigadier for impinging upon the rights of a poor peasant. In a historic judgment passed in September 2003, the Supreme Court bench warned against greed and forcibly and illegally depriving poor people of their rights.

Amazingly, Abdul Karim received justice not because he had the means to take legal action, but because Brigadier Bashir wanted his land and took the case to court. It"s unlikely that this historic judgment will help many other poor villagers, though, as the only way for them to benefit from this landmark judgement would be to initiate expensive legal proceedings.

The people of the small fishing village of Mubarik were not as fortunate as Abdul Karim. Situated near the Sindh-Balochistan border, their village adjoining the sea was once their territory. For over five years now, they have watched as their land has been slowly pulled away from under their feet. Generations of their families have lived there peacefully as fishermen, but no longer. A few years back, the villagers found that they could no longer move freely on their own land. The Pakistan Navy (PN) ordered the residents of Mubarik village to limit themselves to a small area. But that wasn"t the only restriction. They were also told not to construct houses on the land because the adjoining land fell within the range of the navy"s target-practice range.

The villagers claim that the PN broke a promise and extended its presence beyond a point that was previously assured by the navy to be the limit of their expansion. In fact, the PN has continued to expand its presence despite the fact that there is no provision in the existing rules for a naval cantonment. Meanwhile, the uneducated villagers are unable to contest their rights: they neither know the law, nor have the money to take legal action.

They are not the only ones in this country in the same predicament. Up against elite groups, like the armed forces, poor villagers neither have the means nor the knowledge to defend their own property, the land they inhabit and cultivate. Despite the efforts of some parliamentarians to flag the issue of the military land ownership in the country, there is insufficient information available on the issue. However, one thing is clear: over the years, the armed forces have become major players in Pakistan"s real estate business.

The military, including its serving and retired members, own massive tracts of land in rural as well as urban centers. They believe that the distribution of land amongst military personnel, particularly within the various housing schemes, denotes the Defence establishment"s superior capacity at managing resources. However, the mechanics behind the issue are not so simple. Is the allocation of military land nothing more than a tradition inherited from the British to reward Defence services personnel? Or should the acquisition of land by the military be viewed in the larger perspective of the power the armed forces wield over the state and its resources?

Since the early 1950s, the military has acquired millions of acres of land throughout the country for distribution to serving and retired armed forces personnel. According to one estimate, the armed forces control about 12 million acres, constituting about 12 per cent of total state land. Out of this, 62 per cent is in the Punjab, 27 per cent in Sindh and11 per cent in NWFP and Balochistan. About seven million acres of the total is agricultural land and has an estimated worth of Rs700 billion. Interestingly, only about 100,000 acres are directly controlled by the armed forces and its subsidiary companies, the Fauji Foundation, the AWT and the Bahria Foundation, and distributed amongst serving and retired personnel. The remainder was given (at highly subsidized rates) to army personnel as awards to be used for their personal gratification.

Granting agricultural land as a reward to individuals is a tradition inherited from the British. The Punjab Alienation of Land Act, 1900 ensured the use of canal colony land as a means to reward those serving British interests. According to Imran Ali, professor at the Lahore University of Management Sciences, in his book, The Punjab under Imperialism, land was granted to indigenous communities under various schemes, such as offering land grants to raise horses that could then be acquired by the British cavalry. Following the principle of rewarding the "faithful," the Alienation of Land Act specifically stipulated allocation of 10 per cent of colonised land to the armed forces. This process of land development was incorporated later in another law known as the Colonisation of Land Act, 1912, which was updated by the Pakistan government in 1965. The law had a feudal underpinning and was based on perpetuating various local social classes that would guarantee the interests of the imperial masters. Today, the land distribution policy is still deeply rooted in this colonial logic, with the military monopolising the state"s resources and continuing to offer land in exchange for allegiance to the state. Moreover, this policy is central to the problematic centre-provinces relations. The smaller provinces, in particular, are wary of the land distribution scheme that empowers Punjab versus other provinces.

For decades, land has been transferred to military personnel under the aforementioned law. The military was given 10 per cent of the approximately nine million acres of land reclaimed due to the construction of the Kotri, Guddu and Ghulam Mohammad barrages in Sindh. The government also gave land to some senior civil bureaucrats, who were the military regime"s partners. Some of the prominent beneficiaries of the land reclamation scheme from the armed forces included General Ayub Khan (247 acres), General Muhammad Musa (250 acres), and Maj. General Umrao Khan (246 acres). After the military"s takeover in October 1958, more land was allotted to army officers in the Guddu Barrage area. Also, agricultural land was given in the Punjab. What is even more important, however, is the fact that the land allotted to military officers was developed with foreign aid - military and economic aid from the US. Reportedly, the finance minister of Punjab, Nawab Iftikhar Hussain Mamdot, justified the use of foreign aid for land development because the money was meant for the army.

The stated logic says that armed forces personnel will be more dedicated towards developing land. This, however, has not been the case. In south Punjab, where land is often awarded to officers and soldiers that do not hail from the area, the tendency is to engage in absentee landlordism or sell the land to the highest bidder. The buyers are usually local landlords. Thus, there is no incentive to reduce the strength of the big landlords, a major problem associated with the continuation of feudalism in the country. Naturally, many big farmers do not object to the military"s rural land acquisition.

However, the distribution of land alone does not empower people unless they are also provided access to three additional resources: water, farm-to-market roads and equipment to develop the land. Such facilities are only provided to senior military officers or the civil bureaucracy. In the case of south Punjab, senior military officers monopolize the three resources to their advantage. A number of army, naval and air chiefs even had serving armed forces personnel guard their lands. They, like the big land owners, use influence to gain access to the road networks and water. Lower ranking soldiers tend to leave their lands barren or sell them to the local landlords. In any case, the senior officers get more land than the junior officers and the jawans.

Any way one looks at it, this monopolization of resources is unfair in a country where there are about 30 million landless peasants. Obviously, providing land to the landless and empowering them through provision of land developmental facilities has not been a priority of the state. In any case, as pointed out by economist Akbar Zaidi in his book, Issues in Pakistan"s Economy, the land reforms during the Ayub and Bhutto eras did not benefit the poor. About 39 per cent of the land recovered during the Bhutto land reforms was never distributed among the landless.

The military"s control of land feeds the largest social injustice in the country: widespread poverty. Like the feudal class, the military has been known to use its power to redistribute land amongst its own without any regard for the country"s poor ethnic populations. In Bahawalpur, there are instances when land developed through years of hard work by landless peasants has been snatched away for distribution to the military bureaucracy. In the tehsil of Nawazabad, the government awarded about 2,500 acres to various military personnel. Hundreds of landless peasants were evicted from state lands after occupying it for years without incident. In an interview, these peasants protested against being evicted from the land they had partially developed and reclaimed from the desert without even a fair hearing. When the peasants took their case to court, junior military officers threatened them, ridiculed the law and advised the peasants that even the courts could not save them from the army"s authority. To the villagers of Nawazabad, there was no difference between the dominant feudal lords and the praetorian military. One local woman bitterly demanded, "If there is no place for us here then [the authorities] should put us on a truck and drop us in India."

The case of Nawazabad is not an anomaly. Other places and people have also experienced the use of force by the military to obtain land for personal or operational purposes. In Yunisabad, near Karachi, the Pakistan Navy took forcible possession of the floating jetty - and the land on which it was built - that belonged to the village and was used to transport locals, especially the sick. For villagers from nearby Shamspir, the jetty was their only access point to land. A writ petition was filed with the Sindh High Court against the "illegal act of the navy" and several letters were written to the district administration highlighting human rights abuses by the PN.

Reportedly, there were occasions where local villagers were harassed and beaten up. The Navy failed to honour the court order not to interfere with public traffic.

Across the country, there are many examples of the military wielding absolute authority to suppress landless peasants in areas where they directly control the land. In Okara, a conflict ensued between local tenants and the army that had unilaterally decided to change the terms of contract from share-cropping to rent-in-cash. While share-cropping pertains to an arrangement whereby the tenants share both the input and the output with the owner or whoever controls the land, the rent-in-cash arrangement dictates that land is cultivated in exchange for money, or rent. The additional benefit of share-cropping to the tenant is that his right over the land is recognised by law. The Okara farm tenants, who had resided on the land and were responsible for tilling it, feared the new system of contract would empower the army, who were not even the owners of the land, to displace the poor tenants from their homes.

The Okara farms are part of the military farms group, Okara and Renala, which comprise 16,627 acres of land consisting of two dairy farms, seven military (oat-hay) farms and 22 villages. The prime proprietor is evidently the Punjab government, which leases the land to other people or institutions. In this particular case, the army had changed the terms of contract for land it did not own. Moreover, the land lease had expired before Partition in 1947 not to be renewed again. To enforce its authority, the Rangers besieged the villages twice, imposed curfew, restricted freedom of movement, stopped supply of medicine, food and vegetables, and used numerous other pressure tactics. The report of Human Rights Watch has detailed testimonials of villagers victimised by the military authorities that were generally dismissive of the protest. Army personnel claimed that, rather than being a human rights issue, this was a local law and order issue incited by some NGOs.

Commenting on the Okara farms case, the Director-General, Inter-Services Press Relations (ISPR), Maj. General Shaukat Sultan, said, "The needs of the army will be decided by the army itself, and/or the government will decide this. Nobody [else] has the right to say what the army can do with 5,000 acres or 17,000 acres. The needs of the army will be determined by the army itself."

However, the Okara incident was not an issue of how the army determined the usage of its land. This, like many other cases, is about the illegal use of military authority to change the legal nature of the land under its control. The army follows the practice of changing the usage of A-1 land specifically meant for operational purposes, to profit-making or for personal gratification of the officer cadre and other elite. In the Punjab, farm land has been turned into golf courses and residential housing schemes. Debates in Parliament over the past couple of years have shown that some camping grounds that the army had arbitrarily turned into golf courses were not designed for public use, but only to please a select few.

In its official response to parliamentary questions regarding the misuse of state land by the military, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) did not challenge the army"s authority. The ministry upheld the army"s jurisdiction over land under its control. This was done in other cases as well, such as the conversion of the firing range in Nowshehra into a citrus farm. The army vociferously defends its power over these assets and even controls information regarding these agricultural assets.

Since 9/11, there has been a noticeable boom in the value of urban real estate in the country. One of the largest beneficiaries, of course, is the military, which has engaged in the practice of converting land titles from state land to private property. It does this via two methods.

Firstly, there is the conversion of state land for private usage. A large amount of state land designated as A-1 land in various cantonments is distributed to military personnel. Here, it must be mentioned that the beneficiaries are the officers and not the soldiers. The 27 housing schemes built on state land in different parts of the country are reserved for the officer cadre, not the jawans.

The practice of urban land grabbing began soon after 1947 when military officers acquired evacuee property in the cantonment areas. During the days of the British, all cantonments were private property or owned by the provincial governments. It was mostly the land where the barracks were built that was owned by the MoD. The officers acquired the land on a transferable lease for a period of 99 years. The 99-year lease is extendable, especially in cases where military officers own the property.

According to a report submitted by the MoD to the Senate, about 78,292 square yards, or16.3 acres, totalling 130 residential plots, were given to an equal number of officers in different cities in a period from October 1999 to 2003. The report highlighted a series of cases where residential plots were carved out of state land meant for operational purposes. The cities included Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi, as well as smaller towns such as Kharian and Jhelum. The ranks of the beneficiaries varied from a full general to a captain. Quantitatively, the distribution was fairly even, with senior, middle-ranking and junior officers getting 46, 36 and 48 plots respectively. However, the plot sizes for senior officers were much bigger than what junior officers received. Generals of all categories received plots of 800 square yards, while plot sizes for captains were less than 500 square yards.

The cantonment area in Lahore, which, up until the early 1980s, comprised a large segment of army training grounds and firing ranges, was almost entirely converted into a residential area. In effect, army exercise and training grounds were converted from public to private use without the consent of the government or the public for whose safety the land was initially provided. This was, of course, done through an internal decision-making process rather than through consultations with the government. In fact, a major complaint is that decisions involving major military housing projects are always made when Parliament is not in session.

Such arbitrary redistribution raises concerns about misuse of state land, especially cantonment land. Major cantonments include Lahore (12,000 acres), Karachi (12,000 acres), Rawalpindi (8,000 acres), Kamra (3,500 acres), Taxila (2,500 acres), Peshawar (4,000 acres) and Quetta (2,500 acres). The fear is that most will ultimately be commercialized. In fact, Lahore, Karachi, Rawalpindi and Peshawar cantonments are no longer restricted army areas. Much property has already been resold to civilians. In Lahore, officers were given ownership of large residential properties in the cantonment area. A conservative estimate of the worth of the cantonment land in Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and Quetta is approximately 300 billion rupees.

The transfer of one portion of Karachi"s National Stadium to the Karachi Cantonment Board is a prime example of military land-grabbing. The Corps Commander Mangla, Lt. General Tauqeer Zia, who was also the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Control Board (PCCB), was responsible for transferring the said land during his tenure as head of the PCCB. The financial dividends were superb. A minimum investment of 600,000 rupees netted a profit of about 15 million in a quick 60 to 90 days. Such manipulative capacity is only available to the most influential institutions or individuals in the country.

President Pervez Musharraf, however, claims that all is fair in real estate and military governance: "So, what is the problem if they [the armed forces] are contributing to town development here, or anywhere in Pakistan, for that matter? In Lahore, in Rawalpindi - their output is the best. The defence societies everywhere are the top societies of Pakistannow, why are we jealous of this? Why are we jealous if somebody gets a piece of land, a kanal of land, cheap when it was initially, and because of the good work done by the society, the price rises by 100 times, and the man then earns some money. What is the problem? Why are we jealous of this? There"s no problem at all."

The General conveniently forgot a certain key fact. The officer cadre pays minimum charges for this urban property. For housing schemes built on state land, in particular, the deduction from the salaries of officers goes towards subsidising construction. The officers are charged a minimal price for the value of the land itself - nothing even remotely close to the market value. It must be noted that contrary to the view that urban land is given when the city is underdeveloped, the land in large urban centres of Karachi and Lahore were given long after the cantonment areas had been developed and property prices had appreciated.

The military land manual is very specific about the use of the land falling in the cantonments or around it. There are about seven types of land managed by the Department of Military Lands and Cantonments. Most of the land mentioned is A-1. This category of land is defined as land meant purely for military purpose such as fortification, barracks, stores, arsenals, aerodromes, housing for military, parade grounds, military recreation grounds, rifle ranges, grass and dairy farms, brick fields, hospitals and gardens for use by the armed forces. Then there is A-2 category of land not actually used or occupied by the military, but used for non-essential activities such as recreation. The "B" type lands are again divided into four sub-categories: B-1, B-2, B-3 and B-4. The B-1 type lands are owned and controlled by the federal government but used for churches, mosques, cemeteries and other ecclesiastical affairs. B-2, on the other hand, is owned by the provincial government and used to generate revenue. The last type, B-3, is private land, but where bazaars, religious buildings, or communal graveyards can also be built. The military land manual stipulates due compensation to the owner in case of acquisition of land by the government. B-4 comprises all such land not falling in any of the above three types. Finally, there is "C" class and that contains drains and roadside plots. The categorization of the land cannot be changed without the authority of the actual owner. That, in any case, is not a major issue. Given the military"s power, such transformation of land usage has never been seriously challenged.

Interestingly, senior generals tend to ignore the legal debate. Instead, they believe that the armed forces have a right to use the land under their control in whatever manner the organization deems fit. In the words of Maj. General Shaukat Sultan, "We don"t build houses or other projects on state land but on military land." The general seems conveniently oblivious to the fact that all military land is essentially state land with specific rules governing its usage.

Consequently, most major cantonments have got into the habit of making markets and commercial plazas on state land for lease. Several senior retired generals have justified these ventures on the grounds that other armed forces, such as China"s People"s Liberation Army (PLA), are also involved in profit-making ventures. The PLA, however, was ordered to divest its commercial interests in 1998 to restore professionalism in the armed forces. Moreover, unlike the Pakistan military, the Chinese military is a revolutionary force that had to make "both ends meet" since Beijing did not provide it with the requisite financial resources.

The defence housing authorities in major cities, or the housing schemes run by the Bahria and Fauji Foundations, represent yet another method of dabbling in real estate. Contrary to the view held by military personnel that these housing schemes are welfare or private ventures that basically show the superior management skills of the armed forces, there is a lot of manipulation involved in the acquisition of land. The DHA in Lahore, which came under a lot of flak due to the stories of rampant corruption, acquired land through offering plots to the owners of farm land. Of course, the owners of the land had to pay development charges to get ownership of the newly developed urban property. The DHA, meanwhile, did not have to pay money to purchase the land.

In the ever-growing DHA in Rawalpindi, there were even reports of the owners being forced to sell their land. The tehsil office refused to issue land revenue documents to the owners even six months before the land was finally purchased for the extension of the DHA, which is now worth billions of rupees. The dividends are phenomenal. In the case of DHA, Rawalpindi, land totaling 3,375 acres was acquired at a total cost of about Rs11 billion and later sold for approximately Rs135 billion.

However, the infrastructure of these elite schemes is not integrated with planning in the rest of the town. The disparity between elite versus ordinary urban planning is noticeable. It could be argued that such disparities are found across the world, but it becomes more pronounced where elite structures are combined with disproportional political power. While rural areas are being lost to urban centers, there is no effort to create opportunities for the lower middle or the middle class. These housing schemes create opportunities for the elite to make money rather than generate employment opportunities for other social classes. The elite town schemes are primarily residential areas with no provision for industrial or business infrastructure. Moreover, such schemes do not solve the shortage of six million houses presently required in the country, but denote financial investment aimed at filling the pockets of those who have the money to invest.

Referring to the compensation of land, private owners would, perhaps, consider themselves relatively lucky as compared to the state itself. The governments have not been able to exercise control over the transfer of land to the military at very low compensation. Referring to agricultural land, it is usually acquired at the rate of Rs 50 per acre. Similarly, very little is paid in the urban centers.

One of the most recent examples pertains to the acquisition of 1,165 acres of land in 2005 for the Army"s GHQ in Islamabad. The land was acquired at the throwaway price of Rs 40 per square yard, which, as the MoD clarified, was legally considered the right compensation for acquisition of land for official purposes. Compensation at market rates would bloat the cost substantially.

It is also worth remembering that the transfer of land to the military deprives the state of a valuable asset. The transfer of state land to individuals, especially, constitutes an expensive subsidy from the state to the defence sector that is never recorded in the financial books.

Surely, it will be difficult to force the senior generals to give up subsidies. In fact, the issue of strengthening democracy in the country is pegged to the question of the economic interests of the senior echelons of the defence services, which have grown fat on such economic benefits.

Urban and rural real estate is one sector used for personal gratification. The military"s perspective is that it uses a system of merit to reward lands to individuals. This might be true, but the system does not explain how most senior officers end up piling up numerous properties worth millions of rupees.

The power and authority of the armed forces is central to the redistribution of land, while its political power is central to acquiring state land or private property. Given the history of land distribution in the country, it can be argued that the 93 million acres of state land are under constant threat of occupation by the military and other elite groups.

Monopolization of state land by a favoured few is counter-productive to the development of the state and the well-being of the general public. This is an issue that demands a serious debate and re-consideration of policies related to the distribution of national resources.

In the historic Abdul Karim Supreme Court judgement, the judges endorsed the following quotation from John Steinbeck"s Grapes of Wrath and cautioned against accumulation of property in the hands of a few:

"And the great owner, who must lose their land in an upheaval, the great owners with access to history, with eyes to read history and to know the great fact: when property accumulates in too few hands, it is taken away. And that companion fact: when a majority of people are hungry and cold they will take by force what they need. And the little screaming fact that sounds through all history: repression works only to strengthen and knit the repressed. The great owners ignored the three cries of history. The land fell into fewer hands, the number of the dispossessed increased, and every effort of the great owners was directed at repression. The money was spent for arms, for gas to protect the great holdings, and spies were sent to catch the murmuring of revolt so that it might be stamped out. The changing economy was ignored, plans for the change ignored; and only means to destroy revolt were considered, while the causes of revolt went on."

While Abdul Karim got justice, this decision of the Supreme Court was not used as a precedence to be applied in other cases as well.

Ayesha Siddiqa is an independent defence analyst and author of the upcoming book, Military Inc. The Politics of Military Economy: A Case Study of Pakistan.

Article Source pakrealestate.com

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Injaz joins Pakistan's shopping mall project

2007-03-09T06:01:00.001-08:00

Abu Dhabi: Injaz Mena Investment Company has joined with UK-based Global Haly Investment Limited to develop a landmark $250-plus million shopping mall and office complex in Defence, a prime area of Karachi, Pakistan's largest city.

The complex will be situated next to the Creek Golf Club along the Arabian Sea coastline, said a senior official.

The project was awarded by the Defence Housing Authority, Karachi, to Global Haly Investment, which was the highest bidder among seven international consortia that participated in the bidding.

The joint venture project was officially announced this week under the key sponsorship of Dr Shaikh Sultan bin Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Injaz Mena CEO Mr Ahmed Al Dhahry said that "with a projected IRR well in excess of 35 per cent, the project was in high demand with investors".

He added that commitments from investors exceeding the offered subscription amount for this unique opportunity were received within a week as a result.

The planned complex will provide high quality shopping as well as premium office space on 5.3 acres of land. It will have a total built-up area of about 1.7 million sq ft of which some 600,000 sq ft will be saleable space, said an official spokesman.

The complex will have three basement levels for parking, ground floor, mezzanine and five upper floors, offering approximately 350,000 sq ft of dedicated retail space and the balance of the area will be for offices.

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Colours galore in annual flower show

2007-03-09T05:56:00.001-08:00

KARACHI: The 56th annual Pakistan flower show 2007 was formally opened by the Horticultural Society of Pakistan (HSP) in collaboration with Defence Housing Authority (DHA) at Sea View Park on Thursday. The chief guest was Chief Justice Sabihuddin Ahmed of the Sindh High Court.

The flower show has been held annually by the HSP since 1950, without interruption. In his welcome speech, the HSP's veteran chairman Lt.General Retd Jahanzeb Arbab said that nature offers a way to relax and enjoy ourselves, and in today's society that is especially true. "It is a positive note that people prefer to have green lawns and developed gardens, and I consider the HSP to have played an important role in this" he said.

He also appreciated the efforts of the HSP President for life AK Khan ad his untiring efforts in making HSP what it is today and encouraging people to have more gardens.

Chief Guest Sabihuddin Ahmed said that gardening is not just a hobby, but that coexisting with plants and flowers can make life more meaningful. He also appreciated the efforts of the HSP in spreading interest in and enhancing a passion for gardening amongst the public.

A large number of individuals, organisations, amateur and professional gardening enthusiasts participated in the flower competition various categories where many of them won shields for their gardens. DHA Nisar Shaheed Park won in large parks category, DHA Hilal Park (medium park), DHA Kh-e-Ban Ittehad (road medium), DHA Gizri Hill Complex (hillocks), DHA nursery Ph VIII (nurseries), DHA Rahat park (small parks), DHA degree college (colleges/schools), DHA Masjid Mustafa (mosques), Sindh Club (clubs, Karachi Port Trust House (official residences), Flag Staff House (kitchen garden), Administrator DHA's house (crenature flower competition) and Saudi Consulate (foreign mission gardens) won first prizes in various categories.

The cactus stall was the most outstanding with people exhibiting their plants, and it was highly appreciated by visitors. The orchids stall followed next with a colourful variety of orchids. The show also featured medicinal herbs and plants, which were also on sale. The flower show is open to the public until Sunday.

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Aziz's assets valued at Rs500m

2007-03-09T05:55:00.000-08:00

ISLAMABAD Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz continued to be among the richest MPs with declared assets in and outside Pakistan valued at approximately Rs500 million, according to the statements that members of parliament including Aziz filed with the Election Commission for the year 2005-06.

But surprisingly, the fresh statement by the prime minister shows he is poorer by a staggering figure of over Rs3 billion than the wealth he declared three years earlier.

There is no explanation how did he lose that much.

The Election Commission has released a voluminous copy spanning 1,334 pages that encapsulates the assets and liabilities of all the law makers who are mandated to annually declare their assets and liabilities.

The statements, however, project a much diminished state of financial status of these MPs who take refuge behind technicalities to hide their real worth. Lawmakers known to be fabulously rich emerge even below the middle income groups in their statements.

The usual subterfuge is to value their assets according to original price rather than their current market assessment.

Strangely, most of the known rich own no car in their names, while they are seen driving latest high-powered vehicles. However, the prime minister does own a car.

PML chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain who is known to own several industrial units, urban land and houses, has declared he is worth only Rs130 million.

Prime Minister Aziz has a house in Defence Housing Authority (DHA) in Karachi whose value is shown at only Rs450,00 against market value of over Rs70 million.

Similarly a plot in the DHA that cost him only Rs125,000 is actually priced at over Rs25 million.

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Many areas suffer more power cuts

2007-03-09T05:49:00.000-08:00

KARACHI: Many residential localities of the metropolis continued to suffer unannounced and recurring power breakdowns for another day on Tuesday as the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC) failed to ensure uninterrupted power supply to major city areas.

Residents, shopkeepers, and traders, while acknowledging the efforts of the utility on systems improvement, opined all the same that such work should be carried in a regulated manner for the convenience of the power consumers.

They said that power outages had been commonly and excessively occurring in their localities irrespective of the timings and schedule of planned power shutdowns mentioned in the KESC publicised shutdown notices.

Unexpected and recurring power breakdowns, coupled with massive voltage fluctuation, were observed, especially in the daytime in the vicinity of Malir, Gulishan-e-Iqbal, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Nazimabad, Korangi, Orangi, Gadap, Baldia Towns and many localities falling in the jurisdiction of the now-defunct districts of East, West, and Central.

A resident of Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Block-7, said that power failure in the early morning hours had become a routine in his locality affecting morning preparation of the people of salaried class and school-goers.

Even the relatively well-privileged and better facilitated localities of the city, including certain phases of the Defence Housing Authority, Clifton, PECHS, vicinities along the Sharea Faisal, Tariq Road, and Bahadrabad, have been acutely and regularly affected by the intermittent power failures especially in the daytime. A large number of business, corporate, trading, shopping establishments and medical care institutions are situated in these localities whose functioning and business have become adversely effected due to recurring power failures and massive voltage fluctuation. The owners of the shopping, business, and trading centres have been left with no other option but to arrange for stand-by power generators in order to ensure uninterrupted supply of power in the event of electricity power breakdown.

thenews.com.pk

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