50 years on, man continues to fight to get his plot

SHC judge calls Karachi 'haven for criminals'

KARACHI:

Despite the passage of 50 years, a senior citizen's plot dispute remains unresolved, prompting Justice Salahuddin Panhwar of the Sindh High Court (SHC) to comment on the city's status as a "haven for criminals."

A two-judge bench, headed by Justice Panhwar, then ordered an inquiry into the case, specifically focusing on missing documents from the subordinate civil case.

Appearing before the bench, the counsel for the petitioner, Advocate Riyaz Alam, argued before the bench that the alternative plot provided by the Karachi Development Authority (KDA) lacked welfare facilities and was a breeding ground for criminal activity.

Advocate Alam told the bench that Mansoor Latifi's father had purchased a 1,000-yard plot in the Korangi Industrial Area in 1975, but it got occupied by squatters. The current market value of a 1,000 square yard plot in KIA is between Rs150 million to Rs200 million.

Following a civil case at the subordinate court over the ages, the KDA was ordered to allocate a plot to the petitioner in Surjani Town. However, due to criminal activities in the area, the petitioner requested the KDA for an alternative location.

Justice Panhwar highlighted the city's overall crime situation, stating that Karachi, home to thousands of criminals, including target killers, poses challenges for its residents. The court ordered an inquiry into the missing documents from the civil case.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 15^th 2024.