SHC summons cantonment bosses

Clifton, DHA and others to answer for use of reclaimed land

KARACHI:

The Sindh High Court (SHC) has summoned the top bosses of Clifton, Faisal, Malir, and Karachi cantonment boards in a case over the reclamation of land from the sea.

A single bench of Justice Zulfiqar Ahmed Khan issued the order on a contempt of court petition over the use of land reclaimed from sea along the coastal belt of Karachi. The court also directed the authority concerned to submit a map of cantonment areas and their expansion into the sea.

The order read that Defence Housing Authority (DHA) may be directed to provide documents of land initially allotted in its favour and details of all other land that subsequently came into their occupation by way of reclamation, whether carried out by the authority itself, or by any other federal/provincial department.

DHA may further be directed to share the title deeds of reclaimed land in their possession, besides the land sold out to two mega waterfront housing projects. The SHC, in its written order on a contempt of court petition against the utilisation of land reclaimed from the sea issued, notices to the chief executive officers (CEO) of Cantonment Board Clifton (CBC), Karachi Canton Board (KBC) Cantonment Board Faisal and Cantonment Board Malir (CBM).

They have been summoned in their personal capacities to appear in the court on December 15.

The court has also directed the cantonment boards’ officials to provide documents explaining their boundaries, delimitation under Section 3 of the Cantonment Act 1924 and subsequent changes made under Section 4 of the Sindh Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (SPPRA) Act.

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In its written order, the court directed cantonment officers to hand over maps of DHA, Port Qasim Authority and Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and furnish all related documents to the court staff. The SHC also issued notices to the Survey of Pakistan for the provision of documents.

The judge also directed the Sindh government and the CAA to appoint a focal person to liaison with the court. The court, in its written order, declared that Marvi Mazhar had presented documents detailing facts on the use of the seashore, including maps with photos and records from 1984 to 2020. The court had appointed architect Marvi Mazhar as the judicial assistant.

DHA's lawyer opposed the appointment, but the SHC rejected the objections put forward by the counsel. The court maintained that no objections could be entertained as an expert was present for judicial assistance.

"The efforts and support of Mazhar are commendable," the court said in its remarks, adding that as per the expert, the situation of the coastal belt has become dangerous." Sea levels are rising, and marine life, including coral reefs, are in grave danger."

The court had also appointed renowned architect Arif Hassan as a judicial assistant. The SHC, while issuing notices, adjourned further the hearing of the petition till December 15.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, December 4^th, 2021.