City council members clash over anti-encroachment drive in Hill Park

The City Council session turned sour on Thursday as treasury and opposition members shouted insults and manhandled each other after a disagreement over the tabling of a resolution regarding the demolition of a mosque at Hill Park during the ongoing anti-encroachment drive.At Thursday’s session, Mayor Wasim Akhtar presented a resolution of the treasury benches regarding the demolished mosque. However, opposition leader Karamullah Waqasi stood up and said that his resolution on behalf of the opposition should be presented and heard first.Akhtar, who was chairing the session, said that his resolution has already been presented and should be allowed. On this, the opposition members chanted slogans against him. The mayor seemed helpless as the session went unruly and opposition members left their seats and huddled around his seat. They shouted that the mayor was always ignoring the opposition. They insisted that their resolution should be heard but the mayor refused to take it up. They also demanded action against those who had demolished the mosque.However, despite opposition members hovering near him, Akhtar continued on to pass the resolution unanimously. At this, the opposition members tore up copies of the agenda. The mayor informed the opposition that he had visited Hill Park and ordered to rebuild the mosque to its original position. He said encroachments at Hill Park were being removed on the orders of the Supreme Court and the anti-encroachment staff demolished the said mosque by mistake and those responsible would be taken to task.The protest went on for 40 minutes before Mayor Akhtar announced to adjourn the session.Statements Addressing a press conference later, opposition leader Karamullah Waqasi claimed that their two women council members Yasmin Burtt and Hasina were beaten by the treasury members. Terming the council session a black day in the history of KMC, Waqasi said the mosque’s demolition was a serious issue and an FIR would be registered against the culprits. He added they would hold a protest at Hill Park after Friday prayers.Meanwhile, Mayor Akhtar also spoke to the media after the council session and said it started in a good manner but some outsiders entered the council hall forcibly and disturbed the atmosphere. He claimed the outsiders wanted to attack him, but his security staff and some chairmen intervened. However, by then the session had been disturbed.He added the metropolitan commissioner was holding an inquiry and a case would be registered once the outsiders are identified. The mayor said that the private resolution presented by the opposition was not rejected, but its reply was given.

from The News International - Karachi http://bit.ly/2RbBISo