SHC stops KMC from finalising auction process to collect public parks’ entry fee

The Sindh High Court on Monday stopped the finalisation of the auction process for the collection of entry fees at various public parks in Karachi or issuance of any work order till further orders. The interim order came on a petition against the auction process for the collection of entry fees at various public parks in the city by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation. Petitioner Tariq Mansoor advocate submitted that the KMC had issued a public notice regarding the auction for the purpose of collection of entry fees at various public parks, which was contrary to the orders of the Supreme Court.

He said the KMC was going to auction licences to collect entry fees for Clifton Park, Amir Khusro Park, Clifton, Jheel Park, Gulshan-e-Jinnah (Polo Ground), Hill Park and Beach Park and fixed rates worth millions of rupees, and that actin would amount to commercialization of the amenity space of the public. The court was requested to declare the impugned public notice for auctioning parks for the collection of entry fees as illegal and violation of the Supreme Court order in the Naimatullah Khan case, which had directed the KMC to maintain public parks for the citizens of Karachi free of cost. A division bench, headed by Justice Yousuf Ali Sayeed, after the preliminary hearing of the petition, issued notices to the KMC and others for June 12 and called their comments. The court in the meantime directed the KMC to proceed with the auction but not to finalize the process or otherwise the issuance of any work order till the next date of the hearing.