Court seeks replies from Sindh govt over MQM-P’s plea

Petition challenges the carving out of Keamari district as seventh district in city

The Sindh High Court issued on Thursday notices to the parties, including the provincial government, over a petition filed by Mutahidda Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leaders challenging the formation of Keamari district in Karachi.

A divisional bench, led by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, pointed out that the MQM-P leaders had raised the issue of Keamari but were asking for Karachi to be made a district in their petition.

Faced with the court's displeasure at the plea, the petitioner's counsel amended the petition. He maintained that the MQM-P has challenged the formation of Keamari district in the high court, arguing that the Keamari district municipal corporation was formed on political grounds.

The counsel contended that the notification is illegal and the formation of the DMC for the seventh district was in violation of the Sindh Local Government Act. The petition pertaining to the matter is being heard in the high court, he said, adding that the provincial government has issued a notification regarding Keamari DMC, which is based on mala fide intent.

The counsel prayed the court to annul both notifications.

The bench issued notices to the parties and sought responses by December 23.

Anti-graft inquiries at NICVD

Separately, the high court issued notices to Sindh advocate-general, the attorney-general of Pakistan and other parties at the request of the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases' administration, while hearing the hospital administration's plea against the Federal Investigation Agency's investigation into corruption allegations at the facility.

The National Accountability Bureau has also been investigating the said graft allegations.

The petitioner's counsel contended that NICVD comes under the province. This makes the FIA's inquiry illegal, he argued, praying the court to restrain the federal agency.

Inquiring whether the health facility falls under the province or the Centre's jurisdiction, the court issued notices to the parties seeking details of the matter. The court also sought a report from the FIA on its inquiry thus far.

Meanwhile, Dr Tariq Sheikh who had raised the matter of the alleged corruption also submitted a petition before the court. Sheikh, in his miscellaneous petition, contended that NICDV is a federal hospital. He alleged that there is massive corruption in the health facility and called for a high-level investigation.

The court also issued notices to the parties over the miscellaneous petition.

'Land encroachment'

Meanwhile, the two-member bench led by Justice Mazhar, issued notices to parties and sought replies by December 10 over a petition filed by the railways department seeking an immediate stop to construction of an expensive project on Karachi Circular Railway land.

The counsel representing the railways department maintained that KCR land had been encroached and if the construction was not stopped, people would incur losses worth millions. A high-rise building is being constructed on the land of Gillani Railway Station in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, said the counsel, adding that the Supreme Court has issued directives regarding encroachment of KCR land. The builder will flee after making money, argued the counsel.

A single-bench of the high court had issued contempt notices to the railways department, said the counsel, maintaining that the department's prayer is only to have the construction halted.

During the hearing, the counsel representing the construction project - Tejori Heights - maintained that the construction work was being done in accordance with law.

The railways counsel maintained, however, that the builder was staging a drama with allegations that the railways department is demolishing the building.

Justice Mazhar remarked that the railways department's counsel should satisfy the single-bench with these arguments.

Issuing notices to Tejori Heights and other parties and seeking replies by December 10, the court adjourned the hearing.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 4^th, 2020.