Legal, leased shops razed

SHC issues notices to federal government, DG Military Lands and Karachi Cantonment Board

KARACHI:

The Sindh High Court has issued notices to the federal government, DG Military Lands and Karachi Cantonment Board on a petition filed by the vendors of Katric Road against the anti-encroachment drive.

A two-member bench headed by Justice Zafar Ahmed Rajput heard the petition.

Usman Farooq, counsel for the petitioners, argued that legal and leased shops were demolished in the name of encroachment and no alternative location has been provided to the affectees so far.

The cantonment board should be directed to return possession of the shops to the affected vendors.

The court issued notices to the federal government, DG Military Lands and Karachi Cantonment Board and directed the parties to submit reply by November 23.

Illegal building in Katchi Abadi

The Sindh High Court has ordered action against builder Altaf Hussain of five-storey building in Shantinagar and relevant officers of the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA). A two-judge bench headed by Justice Zafar Ahmed Rajput heard the petition.

Petitioner's counsel contended that the builder erected a five-storey building on a plot of land measuring 200 square yards. He sought court orders to demolish the illegal construction.

The builder's counsel said that five-storey buildings have been constructed in whole of Shantinagar. "Not only me, but everyone else did the same," the builder's counsel argued.

The court reprimanded the builder's lawyer, saying, "If theft is taking place somewhere then others should also be allowed to commit the same crime? This is not an argument," Justice Rajput told the builder's counsel. How can a five-storey building be built in Katchi Abadi? It's all about whether it was allowed or not. If the construction of the said five-storey was not allowed then the building should be demolished," the judge remarked.

The SBCA counsel stated that construction of ground plus two floors is allowed in Shantinagar. The court directed the SBCA's deputy director east to appear in person at the next hearing. The court ordered action to be taken within two weeks and a progress report should be submitted.

Payment to retired employees

Meanwhile, the Sindh High Court has directed the Sindh government for immediate payment of group insurance to its employees in a petition seeking payment of group insurance to 500,000 employees of the provincial government.

The petitioner's counsel argued that in other provinces the policy amount is paid on retirement but the retired employees of Sindh are made to wait till the age of 65 years.

The court expressed anger over State Life for delaying the claims for a long time.

Justice Salahuddin Panhwar remarked that even after keeping the amount of Rs2.5 billion, you are not making claim payments. "A criminal case may be filed against the State Life Corporation," the court warned.

The provincial finance secretary said that the claims of the legal heirs of 5,000 deceased employees were pending. The court directed that the procedure for verification of claims should be simplified. The court ordered the Sindh government to pay group insurance to the employees immediately. The court directed the Sindh government to amend the law if needed at par with the law in other provinces.

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