SHC orders encroachments’ removal in three weeks

UC, NADRA offices encroaching upon streets, pavements in Garden West, says counsel

The Sindh High Court (SHC) ordered on Wednesday the removal of encroachments in Garden West within three weeks and summoned the anti-encroachment department's senior director over failure to comply with court orders restricting the lease of pavements, streets and roads.

A two-member bench, comprising Justice Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui and Justice Kausar Sultana, issued the directives after the petitioner's counsel informed the court that 11 streets in Garden West had been encroached, and the offices of union councils as well as that of the National Database Regulatory Authority had been constructed there.

Besides, he added, shops and houses have been illegally constructed elsewhere.

In response, the respondents' counsel maintained the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation had leased the land for the construction of shops.

Irked at authorities for failing to abide by court orders and continuing to lease out land for illegal construction, the SHC ordered the anti-encroachment department and other relevant authorities to submit a report and explanation on the matter within three weeks, after razing illegal structures in Garden West.

It further summoned the anti-encroachments senior director in personal capacity and combined all pleas challenging the illegal lease of land.

Unregulated blood banks

Meanwhile, a bench comprising Justice Yousuf Ali Sayeed and Justice Agha Faisal sought replies from the Sindh government, health department and others on a plea seeking action against unregistered blood banks established near public hospitals.

According to the plea, such blood banks, especially those located in the vicinity of Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital, Abbasi Shaheed Hospital and other government hospital, sell sub-standard blood. It stated that that non-standard kits were being used for screening in these blood banks, which are not monitored, and that these establishments have general technicians working there instead of pathologists. The plea also highlighted the lack of action by the Blood Transfusion Authority in this regard.

At the hearing, the additional advocate-general sought an extension for submitting the reply on the plea.

Granting the extension, the court sought replies from the Sindh government, health department and others on October 8, at the next hearing.

Removal from ECL

At another hearing, a two-member bench, comprising Justice KK Agha and Justice Zulfiqar Ali Sangi, issued notices to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor, federal government and other parties over a plea seeking the removal of former provincial minister Sharjeel Inam Memon's wife, Sadaf Sharjeel, from the Exit Control List (ECL).

"Her crime is that she is the wife of a former minister [accused in an assets beyond means reference]," contended the petitioner's counsel. He told the court that Sadaf ran a business in Dubai, where she lived before being nominated in the reference, in which she had acquired bail.

Sadaf had to travel out of country for business, he said, moving the court to order relevant authorities to remove her name from the ECL.

At this, the court issued notices to the NAB prosecutor, federal government and other parties, seeking their replies on the plea by September 21.

Earlier, the SHC had ordered the inclusion of Memon, Sadaf and other accused on the ECL, while granting them bail in the reference.

Bail denied

Separately, Justice Amjad Ali Sahito rejected the bail plea of an accused booked and arrested in an abduction case.

The accused, Ayaz Ghani, tried to flee after the court rejected the plea filed by him. However, he was caught by the petitioner and others near the Sindh Secretariat.

According to the police, Ghani is accused of kidnapping a woman, Ayesha. A case for the abduction has been registered at Kalri police station, and Ghani was previously denied bail by a trial court too.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 17^th, 2020.