Billboards installed across city illegal, says petitioner

SC Karachi Registry asks petitioner and defendant to submit related documents

KARACHI:

The Supreme Court Karachi Registry heard a contempt of court petition related to the installation of billboards in the city and ordered the parties to submit their respective documents. The court also directed the petitioner to approach the Sindh High Court in case of objection to the bylaws.

The SC Karachi Registry bench comprising Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Syed Hassan Azhar Rizvi and Justice Irfan Saadat Khan hear the petition.

The lawyer of the petitioner argued that all the billboards installed across Karachi are illegal. However, the KMC lawyer submitted that all the billboards are installed according to the by-laws made on the orders of the Supreme Court in 2020.

The petitioner's counsel submitted that the Supreme Court order of 2016 is not being implemented.

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The KMC lawyer said that after 2016, Supreme Court issued three orders , in which the Sindh government made by-laws under the order of 2020 and submitted a report to the Supreme Court.

The court inquired under what procedure you have given permission to install these billboards. The KMC counsel stated that we get the survey done by government-approved engineers and after their certificate, the department granted permission under the bye-laws to install billboards.

The court asked the petitioner's counsel, if you have any evidence of installing illegal boards, submit the complete evidence with photographs to the court. The court remarked that if you have any objection to the by-laws, refer to the Sindh High Court.

The court remarked that until a proper direction is given, the signboards should not be removed from the city. The court ordered both the parties to submit respective documents. The court also sought the implementation report from the concerned institutions.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 21^st, 2023.