SC orders end of commercial activities on military lands

Place Karachi’s master plan dept directly under Sindh govt, says Justice Ahmed

KARACHI: Justice Gulzar Ahmed of the Supreme Court (SC) ordered on Saturday the closure of all commercial activities being carried out on military lands. While presiding over a meeting on the implementation of apex court’s orders on the removal of encroachments, Justice Ahmed also ordered the immediate removal of parking lots established outside the restaurants along Rashid Minhas Road as well as tables and chairs placed on footpaths and service roads.

These major decisions were made in a review meeting of Karachi’s anti-encroachment operation at SC’s Karachi Registry on Saturday. Presided over by Justice Ahmed, the meeting was also attended by Local Government secretary, Karachi police chief, Municipal Commissioner Dr Saifur Rehman, the focal person of Chief Secretary, officials of Karachi Development Authority (KDA), Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Civil Aviation and senior officials of Cantonment Board and other agencies.

In a major landmark decision, Justice Ahmed asked the authorities to detach Karachi’s Master Plan Department from the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) and place it directly under the provincial government.



The meeting also ordered the immediate demolition of a cinema, Nueplex, constructed on military estate on Rashid Minhas Road as well as demolition of walls built in front of Dolmen Mall on Sea View Road in Clifton. “Were these walls constructed to create a separate route for certain people?” asked Justice Ahmed. He also ordered the removal of parking spaces outside the buildings on Korangi Road.

While ordering suspension of all commercial activities from military lands and removal of the cinemas built there immediately, Justice Ahmed said that illegal constructions would not be allowed no matter how influential anyone was, adding that it had been decided that these lands would be vacated.

Directing to hand over the master plan of Karachi to the Sindh government, Justice Ahmed remarked that SBCA and other institutions had ruined Karachi. He said that the provincial government should study the city’s master plan, take it into consideration and start new planning.

Apparently referring to federal government departments, the Sindh government complained that several institutions were not cooperating, to which Justice Ahmed ordered all the institutions to cooperate.



Justice Ahmed also ordered to remove the nurseries established on footpaths and relocate the activities of welfare organisations away from the footpaths. He remarked that footpaths should only be available for the pedestrians.

The SC also ordered the immediate removal of encroachments from Aziz Bhatti Park and other parks.

Earlier last month, the SC directed all the cantonment boards of Karachi to ensure that there was no commercial activity, construction of marriage lawns and halls on the military lands, which should only be retained and used for the earmarked purpose.

Justice Ahmed had said that it was expected from the cantonment boards’ directors and the DHA to work for the welfare of general public by providing them hospitals, libraries, parks and playgrounds. The SC directed the cantonment boards’ directors that there should be no commercial activity on the military lands as that may be creating security issues.

The SC had observed that the allotment on the open spaces by the DHA was contrary to the law and against the proper use of the land. Justice Ahmed directed to remove all encroachments from the DHA greenbelts and plantations be made therein so the open spaces were properly utilised.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 13^th, 2019.