SC warns heads of civic agencies,cantonment boards of contempt charges

Apex court says contempt notices to be issued if billboards not removed by July 21

Karachi

The Supreme Court warned on Friday that the heads of civic agencies and cantonment boards would have to face contempt proceedings if billboards installed illegally on footpaths in Karachi were not removed by July 21.

A five-member bench headed by Justice Amir Hani Muslim observed that the court would frame charges of contempt against the officials concerned if the illegal billboards are not removed by the deadline.

The court asked the additional attorney general as to why its orders on the removal of billboards from public properties had not been complied with.

The court observed that several billboards were still installed along Sharea Faisal and other parts of the city in sheer violation of its orders.

Additional attorney general Salman Talibuddin submitted that some civic agencies and cantonment boards had removed the billboards from their respective jurisdictions.

The court observed that its orders were not complied with in letter and spirit and it would be compelled to issue contempt of court notices to the heads of civic agencies and cantonment boards.

The additional attorney general undertook that the orders of the court would be complied with in letter and spirit.

The Sindh advocate general submitted that billboards from the jurisdiction of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation and district municipal corporations had been removed and undertook that if there were any left, the court’s orders would be complied with in letter and spirit.

The court adjourning the matter till July 22 directed that the head of municipal administrations of all districts besides those agencies who had not complied with the court orders shall be in attendance on the next hearing with their respective compliance reports.

The court had directed the KMC and cantonment boards in August last year to remove all billboards and hoardings. The apex court had observed that the permission for installing heavy billboards could not be granted by land owners or the civic agencies of the city as the action was in violation of the fundamental rights of citizens.