Use of land: Remove encroachments on Kashmir Road immediately, says SC

Apex court tells govt to inform it in case of resistance from the ‘land mafia’.


Our Correspondent February 18, 2013
The city administration was directed to come down hard on the allegedly powerful encroachers. PHOTO: FILE

ISLAMABAD:


The Supreme Court has directed the Sindh government to remove the encroachments on Kashmir Road immediately and let that be a test case to cleanse the city of all illegal occupations.


On Monday, a three-member bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and including justices Gulzar Ahmed and Sheikh Azmat Saeed took up the petition filed by the city’s former nazim, Niamatullah Khan against the occupation of state land allegedly by influential men and political parties.

The court also sought a comprehensive plan to clear all encroachments from public land in Karachi and directed the chief secretary Sindh and the city administrator to submit the proposed plan.

The judges were also concerned that the Sindh government had failed to show any interest in retrieving public land in Karachi when it was their duty to take steps against encroachers. In fact, the chief justice questioned the power of the authorities to take action against the ‘land mafia’ and get back public land.



The city administration was directed to come down hard on the allegedly powerful encroachers and intimate the apex court if they face any threats.

Justice Gulzar Ahmed pointed out that a mosque was being constructed on the land allocated to Jahangir Park. Similarly, all playgrounds on Kashmir Road had been occupied and a marriage centre was running there. The judges ordered the government remove encroachments on this road immediately and take it as a test case to see the reactions and problems they face.

Seeking the comprehensive plan, the court further asked the government to report all the actions that have so far been taken against encroachers. The hearing of the case was adjourned till March 20.

When the former nazim filed the petition, he claimed that political parties had set up their offices on 127 amenity plots. He also accused them of passing on 35 plots and some park land for residential and commercial use in the past four years.

Khan also said that one of the biggest reasons behind the deteriorating law and order situation in Karachi was the illegal possession of public land and its disposal in a manner that “suits the land grabbers and mafia operating in the city”. Referring to Article 184(3) of the Constitution, the petitioner had raised 14 questions for the court to settle.

The petition stated that public land, places and points, which came in the clutches of these ‘hawks’, as mentioned in the petition are more than 128 places located in district east including Shah Faisal, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Gadap, Jamshed and Malir towns. In district central, SITE and Orangi towns have been occupied. The list also includes land and places located in Keamari.


According to the list, as many as 35 such parks and amenity plots were occupied and then divided into residential and commercial plots in North Nazimabad, Baldia, SITE, Orangi, New Karachi, Gulberg and Gadap towns.


Published in The Express Tribune, February 19th, 2013.

COMMENTS (2)

Amir | 11 years ago | Reply

We used to have a park in front of our house in PECHS Block 2. One day a senior KMC officer built his house. No one complained. Then lo and behold, in 15 years, the whole park was encroached by a large nursery and then appartment complexes.

Good luck, quite difficult to tackle land mafia in Karachi.

Jibran | 11 years ago | Reply

Nice! And what about the encroachments by Rana Sanaullah? A stay order?

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