KMC restricted from razing leased houses

A two-member bench was hearing a plea filed by residents of Liaquatabad area against the demolition of leased houses

KARACHI:

The Sindh High Court restricted the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, commissioner and other relevant authorities on Tuesday from razing leased houses near Gujjar Nullah.

A two-member bench, comprising Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi and Justice Rashida Asad, was hearing a plea filed by residents of Liaquatabad area against the demolition of leased houses.

The petitioner’s counsel apprised the bench that the court had declared the houses in question legal in 2015 but anti-encroachment teams had marked them for demolition.

The bench restricted the relevant authorities from demolishing leased houses till further notice and sought replies from the Karachi commissioner, the KMC and other parties by the next hearing.

Missing children

Meanwhile, another bench comprising Justice KK Agha and Abdul Mobeen Lakho rejected the report submitted by the provincial task force pertaining to missing children.

Where did the missing children go when they weren’t detained by any agency, asked Justice Agha.

The bench observed that missing children could have been picked by human traffickers and asked why efforts were not being made for their recoveries.

The court directed the authorities to seek assistance from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for the recovery of missing children and to include a senior FIA official in the joint investigation team and the provincial task force.

The Central Investigation Agency DIG maintained during the hearing that efforts to trace the missing children are underway.

The bench directed the relevant authorities to recover the missing children and submit a report by June 10.

Extension granted

Another bench, comprising Justice Muhammad Iqbal Kalhoro and Justice Shamsuddin Abbasi, sought a progress report from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) over former Sindh law minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar’s bail plea in the graft inquiry against him.

The investigation officer informed the court that the inquiry against Lanjar has been completed and the report has been sent to the NAB headquarters for approval.

The NAB prosecutor apprised that a reply from the national anti-graft watchdog’s headquarters is yet to be received. He moved the court to grant an extension for the submission of report.

The bench accepted NAB’s request and granted an extension till May 25 while extending the bail of Lanjar and other accused.

Bail extended

The same bench granted NAB an extension to complete its inquiry against Pakistan Peoples Party MPA Sharjeel Inam Memon pertaining to illegal appointments in the Sindh information department.

During the hearing of Memon’s bail plea, the NAB prosecutor maintained that the watchdog needed more time to complete its inquiry.

The court extended the former information minister’s bail and granted NAB time till May 25. The bureau was directed to submit a progress report at the next hearing.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 14^th, 2021.