The court had ordered the construction of an oil tanker terminal to ease the burden of illegally parked tankers in residential areas. PHOTO: FILE
A three-judge bench, headed by the Chief Justice of Pakistan Anwar Zaheer Jamali, directed the Karachi commissioner to submit a report showing progress on the project within a month, when the matter will be taken up again after summer vacations. Advocate-general Barrister Zamir Ghumro verbally informed the bench that the terminal will hopefully become operational within a month.
The bench, also comprising justices Faisal Arab and Khilji Arif Hussain, passed this order at its Karachi Registry on a human rights application seeking the court's orders for removal of heavy vehicles being illegally parked in Shireen Jinnah Colony and its adjoining areas.
The application was filed by Shagufta, a resident of Clifton's Block 1. In her application, she had requested the then chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry to order the authorities to remove the illegally setup oil tanker terminal.
According to the applicant, the tankers were causing environmental and noise pollution. The locality was also facing traffic jams, as heavy vehicles were parked in the streets where a number of auto workshops had also been opened.
Initiating proceedings, the apex court has passed orders directing the Sindh government, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), Karachi Port Trust, Oil Tankers Owners Association and others stakeholders to set up a proper terminal outside the city limits and shift these illegally parked heavy vehicles there.
At the outset of Wednesday's proceedings, the judges inquired from the law officers representing the provincial and local governments, the tankers owners' association and others regarding implementation of the court's order passed in August last year.
In the previous order, the court had directed the chief secretary and KMC authorities to ensure the new terminal being set-up at Zulfiqarabad was made fully functional with the provision of all basic facilities and that the oil tankers were shifted from residential areas to the designated area outside the city. They were given a week's time to perform the task and submit compliance reports respectively.
Ghumro maintained that construction of the terminal had been completed in compliance with the court's order. KMC officials also reported compliance. However, the bench members noted that the court's order had not been fully implemented, as the terminal had not been made fully functional due to non-provisions of facilities.
Justice Jamali observed that the oil tankers coming from other cities to the metropolis were causing great difficulties for residents. He recalled that the court had been passing orders and directives to the authorities concerned repeatedly but no action had so far been taken in compliance of the same. The top judge further observed that the conduct of the authorities suggested that no matter how many times the orders were passed, they were barely implemented.
To the court's query, the advocate-general undertook that the terminal will become fully operational within a month.
The judges directed the Karachi commissioner to file a report, within a month, showing progress on the terminal.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 18th, 2016.
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