SC orders removal of remaining billboards within three days

Court informed some billboards along Sharea Faisal and in cantonment

areas installed by Army Welfare Trust

Karachi

The Supreme Court directed the head of civic agencies and cantonment boards on Friday to remove the remaining billboards installed in their respective jurisdictions in the city within three days.

A five-member bench of the apex court headed by Justice Amir Hani Muslim, while hearing the matter of illegal signboards in Karachi, observed that the court knew how to establish its writ.

Additional attorney general Salman Talibuddin submitted that 98 percent of billboards had been removed from the city and sought further time so that remaining ones could be removed.

The court took exception to the non-compliance of its orders and observed that some billboards were still installed along Sharea Faisal and the roads leading towards DHA.

The court inquired the administrators of district municipal corporations as to under what authority were they issuing permission for the installation of billboards in their respective jurisdictions.

The court observed that there were complaints received from the public that billboards were still installed and not removed despite orders.

The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation administrator submitted that the advertisement department and its employees were devolved to the respective DMCs.

Army Welfare Trust

The court was also informed that some billboards along Sharea Faisal and in cantonment areas were installed by the Army Welfare Trust.

The additional attorney general submitted that he had written letters to all civic agencies and cantonment boards informing them about the apex court’s orders about the removal of billboards.

He suggested that the heads of civic agencies and cantonment boards should be ordered to remove the remaining billboards from their jurisdictions irrespective of which authority had issued permission for their installation.

The court directed the heads of civic agencies and cantonment boards to remove the remaining billboards from the stretch of their foundations within three days and submit their reports before the court on July 29.

The court also warned it would frame contempt charges against the heads of civic agencies and cantonment boards without issuing any show cause notice if the billboards illegally installed on footpaths in different areas of the city were not removed.

In August last year, the apex court had directed the KMC and cantonment boards to remove all billboards observing that proceedings would be initiated against the heads of civic agencies and land owning departments if the orders were not complied with in letter and spirit.  The court had observed that the permission for the installation of billboards could not be given by land owners or civic agencies as the act in violation of the fundamental rights of citizens.