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Angered at city's encroachments, CJ says Karachi Commissioner will be removed

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Angered at city's encroachments, CJ says Karachi Commissioner will be removed

April 8, 2021


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Chief Justice Justice Gulzar Ahmed


KARACHI: Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed on Thursday expressed anger at the Karachi Commissioner over the abysmal condition of the city's encroachments, saying that "we are going to remove the Karachi Commissioner".

The apex court was hearing a case related to operations against encroachments in various parts of the city when it questioned the commissioner's performance.

Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed was presiding over the hearing at the Karachi Registry of the Supreme Court. The Karachi Commissioner and other senior officials were present for the court hearing.
"You think we will take the deputy commissioner's report seriously? What type of a report is this?" he asked the chief secretary. "It's written everywhere that the report is awaited. Chief Secretary sahab remove such officers."

The legal counsel for the Kidney Hill Park residents, Barrister Salahuddin, requested the Supreme Court to direct the builder to compensate them for selling them encroachments.

"Our houses [on the land] have been built for the past 25 years and the maps for them were approved by the Sindh government," he said.

To this, the CJP responded: "They're not children. While buying houses, one is fully aware [regarding details of the land]," he said.

The apex court dismissed the request filed by Kidney Hill Park residents to grant them time before their encroachments are razed to the ground.

The Karachi Commissioner presented a report related to the YMCA Ground during the hearing, saying that all pending work has been completed except for the installation of lights at the ground.

He also presented a report on Shahrah-e-Faisal and Shahrah-e-Quaideen to the apex court. The bench expressed dissatisfaction over the report compiled by the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA).

Addressing the SBCA representative, the bench asked: "Do you know that the SBCA is an agent of the builders? Where are you when such lofty buildings are constructed? If tomorrow someone shows you a permit for the construction of the Chief Minister's House, will you allow to build that as well?"

Referring to the Karachi Commissioner and the SBCA, the bench said these institutions were "rubber stamp", adding that they had no idea how many NAB cases will be filed against them based on the irregularities related to encroachments.

"If you are creating so many problems for us, imagine the number of problems you create for the people," remarked the chief justice.

He said the Sindh chief minister was directed to submit a report on the city's encroachments in the apex court and in response, "he said all is well".

At this, the chief justice said the apex court is going to remove the Karachi Commissioner. "Very sorry to be saying this in front of you but look at the report we have in front of us. What can we do?"

The court remarked that the person running the SBCA's operations was making billions. "The most amount of [illegal] money is being made in the SBCA's Sub Registrar Office," said the bench.

The encroachments at Kidney Hill Park

During a hearing held by the Supreme Court last year, the Karachi commissioner had informed the apex court that eviction notices had been sent to residents of the Farhan Society, which had been built on illegally occupied land at the Kidney Hill Park in the city.
During the heating, Shehri CBE — a citizens rights foundation— told the court that 24 houses in Farhan Society were illegally built on four plots of the Kidney Hill Park.

The court had warned authorities that if they fail to evict the residents of the illegally occupied land, then contempt of court proceedings will be initiated against them.

The Supreme Court had also inquired about the progress of the removal of encroachments from the city's busy road, the Shahrah-e-Quaideen.


 
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Complete KCR in 9 months: SC


by The Frontier Post



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KARACHI (TLTP): The Supreme Court ordered on Thursday that the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) be completed in the next nine months.

Headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed, an apex court bench was hearing the KCR revival case at the Karachi registry.

Commissioner Karachi Naved Ali Shaikh informed the judges that the KCR track has been cleared of all encroachments.

At this, CJP Ahmed asked what is hampering the complete restoration of the KCR when all encroachments have been removed from the track. The KCR project director said the 14-kilometre long Orangi-City station track, which is dotted with nine stations, is operational. The complete KCR track is 43 kilometres long, the secretary railway said, adding the City-Drigh road track is also operational.

However, the Green Line BRT project has become a hurdle near Nazimabad, he pointed out. A flyover or an underpass need to be built there, he added.

The secretary railway said the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) has been given a contract for its construction. A lawyer for FWO rejected the secretary’s claim saying it has not been given any such contract.

The provincial transport secretary said that a work order in this regard had been issued following the cabinet’s approval, adding the organisation demanded Rs25 million for a pre-feasibility advice, which had also been released.

“FWO has been assigned the task to milk money,” CJP Gulzar remarked. “This is a public interest matter and you [FWO] have been demanding money.”
 
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