Police in neighbourhoods: SHC asks DHA, Cantt Board for comment

Residents want Darakhshan police station, CID residence.

KARACHI: None of the lawyers for the cantonment board or Defence Housing Authority appeared on Thursday in court for the hearing of a plea by residents who want Darakshan police station and the residence of SSP Chaudhry Aslam Khan removed.

Nasir Jehangir and other residents have gone to court, arguing that the presence of a police station and its lockup on a street with a number of schools and houses of ordinary citizens has become a constant threat to their life and property. They argued that a recent bomb attack on the bungalow of SSP Aslam Khan provided enough grounds for the removal of the police station and residences of officers who are on the hit lists of terrorist organisations.

SSP Khan’s lawyer Muhammad Farooq filed papers to represent him and asked for time to go through the contents of the petition, which came originally as a letter to the chief justice of the SHC who ordered it to be converted to a constitutional petition.

Chief Justice Mushir Alam and Justice Ahmed Ali M Sheikh granted this request and adjourned the hearing of the case. The bench directed all the offices named in the petition to file their comments on the case within 10 days.

Refurbishment tax

Another bench of the high court comprising Justice Maqbool Baqar and Justice Imam Bux Baloch adjourned the hearing of a petition filed by the Defence Residents Association after DHA’s lawyer sought an adjournment.

Khalid Jawed advocate told the bench on Thursday that Sharifuddin Pirzada will be arguing the case for DHA but since he is unwell he requested the hearing to be adjourned.

The association is being represented by lawyer Dr Farogh Naseem. The petition questions a new DHA “Refurbishment tax” to recover the cost of laying a sewage and rainwater disposal system.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 25^th, 2011.