Failure to implement orders on KCR: Supreme Court issues contempt notice to PR, Sindh govt

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court Tuesday issued contempt notices to the Pakistan Railways and Sindh government over failure to implement its orders pertaining to the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR).

A three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed, while hearing the case regarding the revival of KCR issued the contempt notices to the Sindh government and Pakistan Railways.

The Supreme Court took an exception to non-implementation of its order and observed that the authorities concerned relied upon departmental correspondence but did not implement its order in letter and spirit.

The secretary railways and the chief secretary Sindh committed contempt of court while not implementing its order, the court ruled, directing both the officials to state as to why the Karachi Circular Railway was not yet made operational.

Justice Ijaz said only departmental correspondence was done but the court orders were not implemented. “If things stay the same, then the court would be stuck doing the same thing for the next five years too,” he added.

The court also summoned the DG FWO in person on the next date of hearing. The chief justice said the court will call everyone and, if needed, the prime minister and the Sindh chief minister Sindh will also be summoned.

The chief justice asked the secretary railways as to why encroachments around the railway tracks were not removed yet despite the court directions. The court directed the chief secretary Sindh and the secretary railways to submit their written replies within two months and adjourned the hearing.