Leader of the Opposition in Sindh Assembly, Haleem Adil Sheikh, Wednesday, said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf will resist an attempt for grabbing valuable land of a pre-partition school in Dalmia area of Karachi by land mafia in connivance with relevant departments of Sindh government.
The Manik Government Boys Secondary School Dalmia was established in 1933 by Ram Kirshan Dalmia and is providing educational facilities to residents of the areas from generation. In 1993 the land of closed cement factory was allotted to Kolachi Cooperatives Housing Society which reportedly sold the piece of land where school building is situated to a builder.
Haleem Adil Sheikh, after receiving complaints from area residents, visited the school along with PTI MPA Arslan Ghumman, Akber Morejo and others. He inspected different sections of the school building and met with teachers and students of the school and residents of area who told the opposition leader that they all were against proposed shifting of the school to new location.
Speaking at the occasion Haleem Adil Sheikh said that around 90 year old school was a historical asset and it could not be demolished but Murad Ali Shah led Sindh government was attempting to raze a historical building.
An under construction building on a residential plot of Kolachi Cooperative Society was named as Manic school while school administration was directed to vacate the existing school building, he said adding that earlier play ground of the school was handed over to builder mafia and now school itself was under threat. Traditionally majority of the area vote for PPP and it was responsibility of PPP leadership to value will and sentiments of their voters, Haleem said adding that in past when the school was deprived of its play ground PPP’s elected representatives connived with builder mafia but now PTI was representing the area and they would not allow land mafia to usurp the valuable land of the historical school.
He alleged that Sindh Education Minister Sardar Shah and Secretary Education Akbar Laghari were also involved in the illicit deal of billions and Akbar Laghari also visited the school on Sunday.
He accused Cm Sindh Murad Ali Shah and provincial minister Sardar Shah of selling out historical Umerkot Fort, putting the Hyderabad fort on the market, making money by exploiting archaeological site of Moen jo Daro and even trying to sell Quaid-e-Azam House. “But we will not allow them to hand over the historical school to land mafia and will resist their nefarious designs,” he vowed.
Different areas of Karachi were handed over to land mafia and illegal constructions were raised in the metropolis, he said adding that but when courts took action poor people had to suffer. Land mafia was happy that Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed was retiring but they should know if one judge is going he would be replaced by the other one.
