SHC tells LEAs to continue operation across city

Karachi
The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Thursday directed law enforcement agencies (LEAs) to carry on with the ongoing operation against illegal barriers and submit a compliance report.
The directives followed petitions seeking the removal of blockades, encroachments and closure of roads near the Sindh Assembly building during the time the assembly was in session.
Petitioners Rana Faizul Hasan and Agha Syed Attaullah Shah submitted that several areas/roads had been blocked consequently causing inconvenience to citizens by restricting the right to free movement.
They maintained that guards armed with weapons had taken positions at the entry and exit points of areas questioning people before letting them in.
Seventy percent of the link roads in Jamshed Town, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, North Nazimabad, New Karachi, Liaquatabad, Korangi, Landhi, Clifton and other areas had been closed which also caused severe traffic jams on main roads, the petitioners maintained.
They added that law enforcement agencies had failed to comply with the Supreme Court’s order for removal of barriers as well as elimination of no-go areas; the SC had observed that nobody had the authority to curb free access to public roads and areas including private housing societies.
The court was informed that the LEASs had removed barriers from various streets and roads.
The city commissioner had also submitted a report containing a list of roads blocked for the general public owing to the security concerns of Imambargahs, MNAs, political parties’ offices or protection of residents from robberies and street crimes.
According to the report, several places and roads of district West including North Nazimabad, Orangi Town, Samanabad, Azizabad, SITE, Peerabad, Manghopir, Rizvia Society, Khawaja Ajmeer Nagri were blocked.
The Defence Housing Authority (DHA) also had blocked several roads due to security concerns of residents.
The court was further informed that several illegal
barriers in Baghdadi, Kalri, Chakiwara, Kalakot and other areas of Lyari had been removed.
The division bench headed by Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi expressing satisfaction over the progress disposed of the petitions directing the LEAs to continue with the operation.
The SHC had already directed the provincial government to adopt measures ensure protection to the state’s dignitaries, foreign diplomats not affecting the citizen’s right to freed movement.
Encroachments on drains
The SHC summoned concerned civic authorities’ officials along with the relevant record on a petition against encroachments on storm water drains in different areas of the city.
Petitioner Rana Faizul Hasan submitted water drains were a major source to clear out rain water but encroachments were causing inconvenience to public.
He stated that all storm water drains including Lyari and Malir Rivers had been encroached upon causing massive problems in the monsoon season.
The court directed the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation to remove encroachments from the drains, however, no compliance report had been submitted by the KMC.