SHC orders removal of encroachments from housing society with Rangers’ helps

The Sindh High Court on Monday ordered the removal of encroachments from Bijnour Cooperative Housing Society with assistance of the Sindh Rangers.

Hearing a petition seeking the removal of encroachments from the housing society, a division bench, headed by Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, took exception to the District East deputy commissioner’s failure to comply with court directions in this regard.

The court inquired the DC why the encroachments had not been demolished at the petitioners’ land despite court orders. It observed that citizens had purchased housing land with their hard-earned savings but they were unable to get possession of their land due to encroachments.

The deputy commissioner submitted that adequate assistance from law enforcement agencies were required for the removal of the encroachments as there was serious apprehension of a law and order situation and loss of precious lives and properties in case the operation was launched without a proper foolproof strategy.

The Rangers counsel said that the Rangers would fully cooperate with the local administration for the removal of the encroachments. The DC undertook to start the anti- encroachment operation in coordination with the Rangers and other law enforcement agencies and to provide a date and time to the Rangers before launching the operation.

He submitted that a meeting of all stakeholders would be convened 10 days prior to the operation to form a joint strategy for the removal of the encroachments from the land. The court directed the DC and Rangers to complete the exercise with regard to the removal of the encroachments and submit a compliance report within 45 days.

Garbage at Khaji Ground

The District Municipal Corporation (DMC) Central administrator filed a report with SHC, submitting that garbage has been removed from the Khaji Ground, which is open now for the public.

The report has been filed after a court notice was issued over non-compliance with court order by the DMC Central administration in a case pertaining to the dumping of garbage at the Khaji Ground.

The high court recently took exception to the failure of the DMC Central administrator to appear at hearings related to dumping of garbage in the Khaji Ground in Gulbahar despite repeated court orders.

The petitioners, including Ali Muhammad, had submitted that the ground was developed by the local administration in the late 1990s after the city had witnessed the worst law and order situation.

They said the ground was a well-known football and cricket ground and park for the locals, but it had been misused for the dumping of garbage. They said two schools were next to the ground and the dumping of garbage had created an unhealthy atmosphere for students, who were constantly troubled by stench caused by the garbage.

The high court was requested to restrain the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) and the DMC’s staff from dumping garbage there. A counsel for the KMC sought time to file comments on the petition. The high court had earlier directed the administration to lift garbage from the ground and submit a compliance report.