Supreme Court seeks reply on plea against inadequate parking facilities in SHC

The Supreme Court on Friday issued notices to the Sindh advocate general, the Karachi commissioner and others on an application filed by the Sindh High Court Bar Association (SHCBA) with regard to inadequate parking facilities inside and around the Sindh High Court’s building.

SHCBA President Ziaul Haq Makhdoom said in the application that judges, lawyers, several thousand litigants, federal and provincial government representatives, the court staff, police officials and security staff came to the SHC on a daily basis. He said that due to an increase in the number of regular visitors in the high court, a chaotic traffic situation was witnessed in and around the court premises as many lawyers and litigants would waste a lot time in finding parking space for their vehicles.

The bar representatives submitted that inadequate parking facilities within the SHC building and its surrounding had been creating problems for lawyers, litigants and the court staff but the relevant authorities failed to provide any solution to rectify the situation.

They submitted dozens of police mobiles and motorbikes were seen in the parking area reserved for the lawyers besides some portion of the parking area had been converted into dump yards as hundreds of unused vehicles of judicial officers as well as several dozens of cars from the high court’s nazarat were permanently parked within the premises which were otherwise reserved for the lawyers’ parking area.

The court was requested to direct the Sindh government to take immediate measures to provide additional land to the high court building for the purpose parking of the lawyers and litigants and construct a parking plaza on the affiliated portion of the high court’s building.

The SC's three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed, issued notices to the provincial advocate general and others and called their comments on the application.