KDA chief told to submit report on three amenity plots in Gulistan-e-Jauhar

The Sindh High Court (SHC) has directed the Karachi Development Authority (KDA) director general (DG) to submit a report after ascertaining whether three amenity plots situated in Gulistan-e-Jauhar Block 3-A are being used for amenity purposes or not.

The direction came recently on a petition against encroachments on the amenity plots reserved for the purpose of mosque. The high court had on a previous hearing also directed KDA officials to verify the documents produced by some interveners as to whether the plot ST-6 was a regular residential plot or it was used for amenity purpose.

The KDA land director filed a compliance report mentioning that the ST-6 plot in Block 3-A of Gulistan-e-Jauhar was reserved for the amenity purpose of the construction of a mosque. He submitted that three institutions had applied for its allotment but due to non-existence of allotment committee, the request for its allotment could not be granted.

The land director submitted that the documents produced by the interveners were forged and fabricated as there was no record available for them. The KDA officer submitted that the encroachment drive could not be successful due to law and order situation as women came out and used abusive language against officers of the KDA and police.

He said that the directorate of estate and enforcement had affixed a show-cause notice on the walls directing the occupants to vacate the premises within 15 days.

A division bench of the SHC comprising Justice Irfan Saadat Khan and Justice Mohammad Faisal Kamal Alam after taking the KDA report on record directed the KDA DG to submit a report on the status of three amenity plots ST-4, ST-5 and ST-6 in Gulistan-e-Jauhar Block 3-A.

In another matter, the high court recently disposed of a petition filed by dairy farmers against interference on their piece of land with a direction to the official respondents to strictly act in accordance with the law.

The SHC directed the official respondents to provide opportunity of hearing to the petitioners if they intended to take adverse action against them. Petitioners Faisal Mubeen and others had submitted in the petition that they were entitled to carry out dairy farming business on 128 acres of land situated in the Gadap area.

They submitted that the official respondents were creating hurdles in the construction of boundary walls. Their counsel assured the high court that they had proper lease of the land which stated that it would be utilised exclusively for cattle and dairy farming, and not used for any residential or commercial purposes. After taking the statement of the petitioners’ counsel on record, the SHC disposed of the petition, directing the official respondents to strictly act in accordance with the law.