Lyari Expressway work to restart in a week: SHC

Vacates stay on demolition of houses, orders compensation for affectees

KARACHI: Recalling a stay granted against the demolition of houses on the north-bound portion of the Lyari Expressway, the Sindh High Court (SHC) directed on Wednesday the petitioners to vacate the land in one week so construction can resume on the remaining portion of the highway.

By June 8, the authorities will be at liberty to take action according to the law, ruled the division bench headed by Justice Munib Akhtar.

These directives came on a set of petitions seeking orders for the director of the Lyari Expressway Rehabilitation Project and other federal and local government authorities to give adequate compensation to 49 families, whose land had been acquired for the project. In January this year, the SHC had restrained the authorities from demolishing the houses obstructing the expressway project.



The families' lawyer, Shaukat Ali Sheikh, had maintained that demolition of 49 houses at Liaquatabad, Angara Goth and 'A' Area had been initiated in violation of a Supreme Court order. He had added that the apex court had ordered that demolition should not be initiated till the decision was announced by the referee judge where the matter was pending adjudication.

During Wednesday's proceedings, Sheikh pleaded the court extend the stay against demolition of the petitioners' houses, at least during Ramazan, as they will face difficulties otherwise.

On the other hand, the District Central deputy commissioner informed the judges that most of the families had been compensated and assured that the remaining ones will also be compensated soon. The bench directed for quick compensation to all those affected.

The official contended that construction work on the project was suffering due to the court's stay order and pleaded the court recall its stay.



The petitioners' lawyer opposed the plea, arguing that the Central additional district and sessions judge-II, the referee judge, had yet to pass any order. Till such an order, the families should not be vacated, he requested. The judges, however, refused to extend the stay order.

Adjourning the hearing till June 8, the bench recalled and vacated its stay against the demolition of the petitioners' houses. They further directed the authorities to resume work on the project after a week.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 2^nd, 2016.