SC orders continuing drive against encroachments on amenity plots

The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), the Karachi Development Authority (KDA) and other civic agencies to continue the ongoing drive against encroachments on amenity land in the city.

Hearing a petition with regard to an unauthorised construction on an evacuee property in Lyari, a three-member bench headed by Justice Mushir Alam observed that it was the responsibility of the civic agencies, including the Sindh Building Control Authority, to maintain the city as per its master plan but they had failed to do so.

The court observed that shopping centers and restaurants havd been established on small plots and no space had been left for the movement of pedestrians due to encroachments in the streets. It further said that it was a dream that Karachi was restored to its original master plan.

Advocate General Sindh Salman Talibuddin submitted that the government was taking assistance from experts and top planners to restory the city to its original state. He said the government took experts’ opinions with regard to the removal of unauthorised structures as humanitarian crises could occur if action was taken without proper planning. He sought time for compliance with the court directives.

The Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) also requested the court for an additional eight weeks for the operation. The court ordered that the anti-encroachment drive be continued in Karachi, and appointed the chief secretary of the province to supervise the operation. It also ordered the removal of rubble from different sites, including Bagh-e-Ibn-e- Qasim.

The apex court ordered the chief secretary to ensure cooperation between the relevant departments. The SC had earlier told the Sindh government to submit a comprehensive policy after calling a cabinet meeting with regard encroachments on government land and unauthorised constructions in the city as well as on the restoration of Karachi as per its original master plan.

The bench had ordered the cantonment boards to remove all sorts of commercial activities from cantonment lands and had observed that all cantonment lands meant for cantonment purposes were to be used only for cantonment purposes and not for any other use.

Mayor seeks cooperation

Mayor Karachi Waseem Akhtar has said that the federal government’s cooperation has become inevitable for the removal of rubble gathered after the anti-encroachment drive in the city. He said this during a meeting with Sindh Governor Imran Ismail at the Governor House on Tuesday.

The governor said the present government was doing its utmost to provide best facilities to Karachiites. He assured the mayor that the federation would extend cooperation for the removal of debris, adding that it was the collective responsibility of everyone to do efforts for the development of the city.