Illegal occupation: KMC administrator summoned by SHC

Judges also order for action against officials responsible for not protecting public properties from encroachers

KARACHI:

The Sindh High Court (SHC) summoned on Friday the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation administrator with a report regarding compliance of the court's orders about the formation of committee to identify officers involved in leasing out amenity plots to third parties.

Moreover, the committee was supposed to take action against such officers and decide who is going to compensate the occupants who unknowingly bought such lands across the city.

Justice Nadeem Akhtar, who headed the division bench, has summoned the administrator on February 16 to answer all such queries.

The bench was hearing a petition challenging the illegal conversion of two amenity plots in Gulistan-e-Jauhar, ST-41 and ST-42, for commercial or residential purposes. Earlier, the court had appointed its Nazir to inspect the land and file a report. During Friday's proceedings, the judges recalled that the inspection report of August 13, 2013, suggested the plots were designated for a park. On that date, the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) was directed to take action against the illegal construction on the amenity plots.

The judges had also ordered the Karachi commissioner to take action against the officials responsible for not protecting public properties from encroachers. Moreover, the judges had also directed SBCA controller and Sindh IG to take action against the encroachments and restore the amenity plots. Similar directions were repeated on August 28 and October 2, 2013.

On Friday, KMC law officer advocate Azra Muqeem said she is not in a position to confirm whether such a committee was formed or not.

The court was adjourned till February 2.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 31^st, 2015.