KMC director says privately-run recreational facility had outstanding dues of Rs1.8 million since last six months. PHOTO: ONLINE
KARACHI: The Supreme Court (SC) extended on Monday its earlier stay order against handing over the premises of the city's only adventure park, Go Aish Adventure Park, to its private management till further orders.
A two-judge bench, comprising justices Faisal Arab and Sajjad Ali Shah, also issued notices to the management of Go Aish Karachi to file a written reply on the petition filed by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) against the Sindh High Court's (SHC) order to open the recreational facility.
The KMC had approached the apex court against the high court's order to reopen the adventure park, which was sealed by the authorities over non-payment of outstanding dues in April this year.
The KMC official informed the judges that the KMC had granted permission to the private management to set up the recreational facility in 2006 under a five-year contract. The metropolitan corporation had granted permission to run the facility against a payment of Rs2 million, the official added.
The apex court was told that the management of Go Aish had not paid the outstanding dues, therefore the KMC had closed down the facility for over a year.
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It was informed that its management obtained an order from the SHC to reopen the park on March 1. But, later it was found that the park was being used for illegal activities, the official alleged.
The bench was informed that days after reopening the park, the Rangers had recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition, reportedly stashed in the ticket counter of the park. The paramilitary force had alleged that the same belonged to Muttahida Qaumi Movement - London leader Inbisat Malik, who is also the son-in-law of another party leader, Mohammad Anwar.
Therefore, the court was pleaded to set aside the SHC’s order handing over possession of the park to the management of Go Aish Adventure Park, arguing that the public place could not be handed over to them to run alleged illegal activities.
Previously, the SC had granted a stay against the SHC order.
On Monday, the judges further extended the earlier stay order, directing that the possession of the public park's premises will remain with the KMC until further orders.
In the meantime, it issued notices to the management of Go Aish Adventure Park to file its written reply in this regard by the next date of hearing.
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