SHC issues notices to cantonment boards on plea against charged parking fees

The Sindh High Court on Wednesday issued notices to the cantonment boards of Karachi and Clifton on a petition against charged parking fees in their respective jurisdictions and the award of the parking fee collection contract through a private contractor.

The court observed that if any such tender is awarded by the cantonment boards to any private person, the same will be subject to a court order on this petition. Petitioner Allahando Khan Issani submitted that charged parking fees were being collected by the cantonment boards through private persons in violation of the cantonment boards laws.

The petitioner’s counsel said that cantonment boards’ laws specified the procedure for the imposition of toll, tax or fee and such an exercise was not done by the boards; besides, the collection of charged parking fees through private contractors could not be undertaken as has already been declared by the Supreme Court.

He submitted that private persons were collecting charged parking fees in the jurisdictions of cantonment boards without any lawful authority and such an act was not protected under any bylaws.

The counsel pointed out that the cantonment boards also published advertisement in newspapers for the purpose of awarding contracts for the collection of charged parking fees, which was also unlawful. The counsel requested the court to restrain the cantonment boards from collecting charged parking fees through private contractors in their respective jurisdictions.

The federal law officer waived notices on the petition and sought time to file comments. A high court division bench headed by Chief Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi, after the preliminary hearing of the petition, directed the cantonment boards to file comments by May 23. The court in the meantime observed that if any such tender is awarded to any private person with regard to collection of parking fee, it shall be subject to the final order of the court.