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The Supreme Court on Thursday took exception to the Defence Housing Authority's handing over of state land in Karachi to private entities, and ordered the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) to ensure implementation of its January directive ordering the city-wide demolition of illegal constructions.
The court also raised the question of whether the Army has the authority to allot state land.
The attorney general responded that the Army is not benefiting from this, to which the judge retorted, "We don't know anything about this, nor do we have any record of this."
"In Karachi, all parks and playgrounds have been taken over and named after martyrs," the judge said. "We seem to be right on top when it comes to martyrs. Who knows, maybe even I will become a martyr or be killed."
The attorney general responded saying that although martyrs are afforded a high status, there are also a number of terms and conditions that must be fulfilled to become a martyr.
"Do you mean to say I will not be able to become a martyr?" the judge remarked. "We were born to be martyred."
"You thought we would accept your report just like that," the judge remarked. "Here, take this report and sign it yourself ─ you have simply gotten a paper pusher to sign on it and submitted it," he told the attorney general.
"You are submitting this report as a lollipop," the judge remarked, to which the attorney general said "it is a report on actions taken as per the court's directives".
Justice Ahmed turned his attention back to the defence secretary and wondered if he was not acting on the court's orders because he enjoyed the defence ministry's support.
"The Defence Housing Authority is a real piece of work," Justice Ahmed remarked, adding that state land in Karachi had been handed over to private parties by the military.
"If you have no need for the land, return it to the federal government," the judge said to the attorney general.
Rasheed A. Razvi, the lawyer for Global Marquees, told the court that there was no historical precedent of an army returning a piece of land to the government.
"Let us make the history today, then" Justice Ahmed asserted. He asked why the military had handed over nine acres of public land to a private party.
"Who signed the deal?" he asked, to which the attorney general replied that a retired colonel had signed off on the deal, as the services of retired armed forces' personnel could be reinstated for such projects.
A two-member bench, headed by Justice Gulzar Ahmed and comprising Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel, resumed hearing the case pertaining to illegal constructions in the megalopolis at the apex court's Karachi registry.
Secretary Defence Ikramul Haq, SBCA Director General Iftikhar Qaimkhani, Mayor Karachi Waseem Akhtar, Senior Superintendent Police Suhai Aziz Talpur, and representatives from the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, Karachi Water and Sewerage Board and other institutions were present at the Karachi registry for today's hearing.
The attorney general and secretary defence appeared before the bench and submitted a report on implementation to the court, which Justice Ahmed rejected, terming it "unsatisfactory" and "eyewash".
Although the attorney general contended that only a couple of points had not been implemented, Justice Ahmed turned to the defence secretary and quizzed him over why the court order had not been implemented.
"You don't know anything because you remain in Islamabad," Justice Ahmed remarked. "What would you know? You just remain in your comfort zone."
"Over here [in Karachi], all the state's land is in the control of private entities," the judge added.
The court also raised the question of whether the Army has the authority to allot state land.
The attorney general responded that the Army is not benefiting from this, to which the judge retorted, "We don't know anything about this, nor do we have any record of this."
"In Karachi, all parks and playgrounds have been taken over and named after martyrs," the judge said. "We seem to be right on top when it comes to martyrs. Who knows, maybe even I will become a martyr or be killed."
The attorney general responded saying that although martyrs are afforded a high status, there are also a number of terms and conditions that must be fulfilled to become a martyr.
"Do you mean to say I will not be able to become a martyr?" the judge remarked. "We were born to be martyred."
"You thought we would accept your report just like that," the judge remarked. "Here, take this report and sign it yourself ─ you have simply gotten a paper pusher to sign on it and submitted it," he told the attorney general.
"You are submitting this report as a lollipop," the judge remarked, to which the attorney general said "it is a report on actions taken as per the court's directives".
Justice Ahmed turned his attention back to the defence secretary and wondered if he was not acting on the court's orders because he enjoyed the defence ministry's support.
"The Defence Housing Authority is a real piece of work," Justice Ahmed remarked, adding that state land in Karachi had been handed over to private parties by the military.
"If you have no need for the land, return it to the federal government," the judge said to the attorney general.
Rasheed A. Razvi, the lawyer for Global Marquees, told the court that there was no historical precedent of an army returning a piece of land to the government.
"Let us make the history today, then" Justice Ahmed asserted. He asked why the military had handed over nine acres of public land to a private party.
"Who signed the deal?" he asked, to which the attorney general replied that a retired colonel had signed off on the deal, as the services of retired armed forces' personnel could be reinstated for such projects.
A two-member bench, headed by Justice Gulzar Ahmed and comprising Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel, resumed hearing the case pertaining to illegal constructions in the megalopolis at the apex court's Karachi registry.
Secretary Defence Ikramul Haq, SBCA Director General Iftikhar Qaimkhani, Mayor Karachi Waseem Akhtar, Senior Superintendent Police Suhai Aziz Talpur, and representatives from the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, Karachi Water and Sewerage Board and other institutions were present at the Karachi registry for today's hearing.
The attorney general and secretary defence appeared before the bench and submitted a report on implementation to the court, which Justice Ahmed rejected, terming it "unsatisfactory" and "eyewash".
Although the attorney general contended that only a couple of points had not been implemented, Justice Ahmed turned to the defence secretary and quizzed him over why the court order had not been implemented.
"You don't know anything because you remain in Islamabad," Justice Ahmed remarked. "What would you know? You just remain in your comfort zone."
"Over here [in Karachi], all the state's land is in the control of private entities," the judge added.
