SHC directs Lyari authority, KDA to submit report on road from Gulbai to Hawke’s Bay

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Friday directed the Lyari Development Authority (LDA) director general (DG), Karachi Development Authority (KDA) planning and design director and others to submit a progress report with regard to the construction of a road from Gulbai to Hawke’s Bay and removal of encroachments along the roadside.

The direction came on a petition of Advocate Uzma who sought construction of a road from Gulbai to Hawke’s Bay. The petitioner had submitted that residents of Hawke’s Bay and other areas were facing hardships as the road from Gulbai to Hawke’s Bay was dilapidated, a reason for which was through trucks stand.

She had submitted that the road was no more in a usable condition due to which residents and picnickers were facing great trouble. She had said that there was also a truck stand which was also required to be shifted to a new truck stand on the Northern Bypass as due to continuous movement of heavy traffic, the road had been destroyed.

The petitioner had requested the high court to direct the respondents to repair and built the road forthwith to prevent accidents and remove the encroachments from the road and its footpaths. She had also sought a court direction for the removal of the truck stand from the road.

A division bench of the SHC comprising Justice Zafar Ahmed Rajput and Justice Mohammad Faisal Kamal Alam observed that the petition was filed in December 2019 but the official respondents had not filed their comments on it.

The high court directed the LDA DG, KDA planning and design director, DMC West administrator and others to appear in person along with a progress report on the construction of road from Gulbai to Hawke’s Bay and removal of encroachments along it.

Warrant for KDA director

The SHC issued bailable warrants against the KDA estate and enforcement director for non-appearance before the court. The bailable warrants were issued on a petition of Dilawar Hussain against an unauthorised construction on an amenity plot in Korangi Sector 48-F. The high court observed that despite repeated directions and imposition of cost of Rs10,000, the KDA officer was neither in attendance nor he had filed the compliance report. The high court ordered issuance of bailabale warrants against the KDA to be served through the concerned SHO and directed the KDA official to appear before the court on November 30.