SHC seeks KDA DG’s comments on conversion of amenity land for mass transit projects

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Saturday issued notice to the Karachi Development Authority (KDA) director general on a petition against the promulgation of KDA (amendment) Act 2018 with regard to conversion or utility of amenity land in the Surjani Town and Numaish areas for the purpose of mass transit projects.

The petitioner, Mehmood Akhtar Naqvi, submitted in the petition that the Sindh government had passed the KDA (amendment) Act 2018, which allowed the government to convert or utilise two amenity plots, ST-11 in Surjani Town Sector 4 and KGA Ground near Numaish, for the purpose of government-sponsored mass transit projects.

He submitted that the superior courts in various judgments had declared that amenity plots could not be converted for any other purpose when they ordered the removal of encroachments on public parks and amenity land.

The petitioner informed the SHC that the Sindh government had promulgated a law to change the status of the amenity land, which was in violation of several judgments of the superior courts and contrary to the law.

The high court was requested to strike down the impugned amendment in the KDA law with regard to the conversion of amenity land for mass transit projects and restore the original status of amenity land.

After the preliminary hearing of the petition, the SHC issued notices to the KDA DG and others, calling their comments on January 24.

Detention case

The SHC issued notices to federal and provincial law officers, the Sindh inspector general of police (IGP) and others on a petition against alleged illegal detention of two women and a boy by unidentified persons.

The petitioner, Sanober, submitted that after she had a dispute with her spouse, she was living with her sister in the Ibrahim Haidery area. She further submitted that unidentified armed persons came to her house and took her daughter Iqra, sister Rafat and Rafat’s son Shahryar away on January 1 and their whereabouts were unknown since then.

She requested the high court to direct the police and law enforcement agencies to make efforts for the recovery of her daughter, sister and nephew and produce them before the court.

The SHC directed the government law officers, IGP and other to file comments on the petition by January 21.