Govt put on notice on plea against auction of licences for collecting entry fee at parks

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday directed the Sindh government to file comments on a plea against auction for collecting entry fee for public parks in Karachi.

The high court also continued its interim order stopping the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) from finalisation of the auction process for collection of entry fees at various public parks in the city or issuance of any work order till further orders.

The petitioner, Tariq Mansoor, advocate submitted in the plea that that KMC had issued a public notice regarding the auction for the purpose of collection of entry fees at various public parks in the city which was contrary to the orders of the Supreme Court.

He submitted that the KMC was going to auction licences to collect entry fees for the Clifton Park, Amir Khusro Park, Jheel Park, Gulshan-e-Jinnah, Hill Park and Beach Park and fixed different rates worth millions of rupees, which was tantamount to commercialising the amenity spaces.

The SHC was requested to declare the impugned public notice for auctioning of parks to be illegal and in violation of a Supreme Court order that directed the KMC to run public parks free of charge.