Bilawal House security: Police ordered to return shipping firm’s containers

Sindh High Court directs authorities to also compensate the owner

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court has ordered the government to return the shipping containers placed around Bilawal House in Clifton and pay the company compensation.

The petitioner, Aras Shipping Agency, had submitted that on January 3, 2011, the Mauripur police had taken 19 containers from the company’s warehouse. The 20-foot-long containers were used to cordon off Bilawal House “to avert any strike by terrorists”, it was stated.

President Asif Ali Zardari stays at Bilawal House during his visits to Karachi.

On Tuesday, Chief Justice Mushir Alam and Justice Farooq Shah heard the petitioner’s counsel and Miran Muhammad Shah, the additional advocate general of Sindh. The petitioner’s counsel stated that due to the illegal detention of containers for security, the company’s business was badly affected and it suffered losses to the tune of $8 per container per day.

He termed the move against Articles 18 and 24 of the constitution. The Sindh chief secretary, inspector general of police, Karachi deputy inspector general and Mauripur SHO were named as respondents in the petition.

After hearing arguments from both sides, the court directed the Sindh government and the Mauripur police to return the company’s 19 containers within seven days and pay compensation of $8 per day per container since they were confiscated. The petition was disposed of.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 8^th, 2012.