Court seeks report on protection of social infrastructure

Asks secretary culture to respond to plea on demolition of library on Malir Expressway

KARACHI:

The Sindh High Court ordered the Secretary Culture to submit a report on measures for the protection of Syed Hashmi Library in Malir and the alteration of the Malir Expressway.

The applicant's lawyer stated that the preservation of the decades-old Syed Hashmi Reference Library should be ensured. Libraries hold immense importance in the social infrastructure of any city, and measures should be taken to protect them. The library houses approximately 25,000 books. There should be transparency in the planning and routing of the expressway, and this plan should be designed with the citizens in mind. Given the significance of the library for students and as a cultural centre, the administration should ensure that the library continues to provide its services. The new project for the interchange has been designed in such a way that access to the library for students and researchers will become difficult. The library serves as a cultural hub that frequently hosts cultural and literary events. Authorities should be prevented from demolishing the library and blocking access for residents.

The court observed that no report had been submitted by the department. According to the administration, the Syed Hashmi Reference Library is an obstacle to the Malir Expressway project. The court directed the Secretary of Culture to submit a report on the protective measures regarding the Syed Hashmi Library.

Construction of house on 'park land'

The Sindh High Court rejected the petition against the construction of a house on a piece of land reportedly designated for a park in Landhi. The applicant's lawyer had stated that residential or commercial constructions cannot be carried out on welfare plots. The court, however, rejected the petition with remarks that according to KDA, the said land has not been designated for a park. The court questioned how a park could be established on a 220 square yards plot?