SHC tells SBCA to clear encroachment from Mehmoodabad

JPMC’s reply on plea against demotion of students without additional fee for supplementary papers sought

KARACHI:

The Sindh High Court (SHC) directed the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) director general on Thursday to implement judicial orders pertaining to encroachments in the Mehmoodabad area of the city.

A two-member bench headed by Justice Irfan Saadat Khan heard the petition.

SBCA Deputy Director Shehzad Raza appeared in court after his arrest warrant was issued by the court.

The bench imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on Raza.

The court directed the SBCA official to pay the fine within three days or it would be deducted from his salary.

Why did the court need to issue an arrest warrant for you, asked Justice Khan. “Shouldn’t you be sent to jail immediately?” Tell me.

Why don’t you appear on the court’s orders?

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Raza said that he had been busy trying to stop encroachment near Mehmoodabad Gate. The court, while expressing annoyance at Raza’s response, directed him to implement judicial orders.

Students plea

Another two-member bench headed by SHC Chief Justice Ahmed Ali Shaikh sought reply from Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre’s (JPMC) department of physiotherapy on the petition of physiotherapy students regarding an alleged injustice in the conduct of exams.

The petitioner’s counsel contended that the academic sessions were already affected because of the pandemic.

Despite failing in some subjects in the first semester, students were promoted to the second and third semesters, he said.

Now, the administration has demoted first semester students and is asking them to pay Rs2,500 fee for supplementary papers and Rs1,500 for regular examinations, stated the counsel.

He argued that the future of students was at stake and the physiotherapy department should be stopped from retaking the exams.

Directing JPMC’s physiotherapy department to submit its reply over the plea, the court adjourned the hearing.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 8^th, 2021.