SC orders city to remove all squatters from parks

SC orders that all encroachments on Karachi’s public parks be demolished within 30 days.

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan has ordered that all encroachments on Karachi’s public parks be demolished within 30 days.

The court also directed the petitioner, former city nazim Niamatullah Khan, to cooperate with the city government.

The court is concerned about the encroachments in public parks but is not responsible for other illegal occupations in Karachi, Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.

The city government’s lawyer, Farogh Nasim, presented a detailed record of the illegal occupations in the parks and admitted that not only  have high-rise buildings been constructed there but also mosques, imambargahs, madrassas, shrines and schools.

“It is not permitted in Islam to construct a mosque on illegally occupied land,” observed the chief justice.

First, the court may issue directives to demolish illegally constructed buildings in public parks because to demolish all encroachments at once would create problems, the counsel pleaded. The drug and land mafia are land grabbers and to nab them is a difficult task.

“You are the government then what are you afraid of? You should seek assistance from the law-enforcement agencies and if they don’t cooperate, tell us,” questioned Justice Ramday.

Nasim also sought the assistance of Niamatullah Khan, saying that he should assist the city government. The court adjourned till March 7.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 3^rd, 2011.