SC seeks report from IG on blocked roads

Sindh High Court directed to dispose of petition on heavy traffic

KARACHI: The Supreme Court sought on Friday a report from the inspector-general of police over the blockage of roads in the city.

Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar headed the bench that heard at the SC Karachi Registry the matter related to the blocking of MA Jinnah Road and other roads through barriers and containers.

The petitioner, Advocate Uzma Saeed, informed the SC that on the court orders, containers had been removed from many roads, however, seven roads linked with MA Jinnah Road were still blocked.

The petitioner maintained that all roads leading to Imambargah Shah Khurasan were blocked. It was argued that the closure of roads was a violation of the fundamental rights of the people.



Justice Nisar directed the IG to submit a report in this regard. The SC also told the IG to submit reply regarding the closure of roads around Ram Paj and Bombay Bazaar in Kharadar.

Heavy traffic

The apex court also directed the Sindh High Court to dispose of a plea regarding movement of heavy vehicles in Karachi in a month after its vacations are over.

The high court had earlier banned the movement of heavy traffic in the city, which was later challenged in the SC.

The SC also heard Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar's plea against liabilities of the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) payable to the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC). In his petition, Akhtar claimed that there were Rs520 million outstanding against the KPT due to which the corporation was in financial duress.

The SC ordered the KPT to resolve the issue with the KMC in three weeks.

Encroached land

The apex court on Friday also ordered the Rangers to assist the relevant bodies in ending encroachments on a Sehwan Development Authority land.



In its order, the SC directed the paramilitary force to assist police, anti-encroachment forces and other institutions in clearing the land of the Sehwan Development Authority of encroachments. The Rangers Director-General was directed to provide the required force in this regard.

An additional advocate-general submitted a report to the SC detailing anti-encroachment operations carried out in six weeks to retrieve the authority's land. The court was informed that of 640 acres of Sehwan Development Authority's land that had been encroached upon, 300 acres had been recovered.

It was argued that since land grabbers were powerful people, the remaining land could not be retrieved unless the Rangers assisted the anti-encroachment operation. The SC was requested to direct the paramilitary force to participate in the operation to end illegal occupation of the land.