Defying court orders: SHC summons former, current KMC administrator

Two officials of the corporation to be charged with contempt on April 9.

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday summoned the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation’s (KMC) lands director and the additional director of revenue on April 9 to frame contempt charges against them for wilfully and deliberately defying the court’s order to cancel the allotment of amenity plots.

A two-judge bench took serious exception over non-compliance of their order even after the lapse of 20 months and also summoned the KMC’s former and incumbent administrator to file their affidavits to the extent that they were not responsible for the defiance. In August 2012, the bench had set aside the unlawful cancellation of allotment of the amenity plots in favour of a non-profit organisation, Zaidi Abid Foundation.

According to the foundation, it was allotted an amenity plot, No. ST-6, measuring 1.06 acres in Korangi by the the government authorities in 1980s to set up a vocational training institute for deaf and dumb children belonging to the less privileged segment of society. Another plot, ST-15, measuring 2,680 square yards, was also allotted to the petitioner in Block-2, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, to establish a hospital.

The petitioner said that local government authorities had provided them alternate plots at different locations along with possession documents, but the allotment was later cancelled as the proposed projects could not materialise during the pledged period of time.

The foundation challenged the allotment cancellation order before the Sindh High Court, which suspended the same and ordered the authorities to restore their allotment.

On Wednesday, the foundation pleaded with the court to initiate contempt proceedings against the lands director, Najamuzzaman, and additional director of revenue, Syed Jamil Ahmed, accusing them of wilfully and deliberately defying the court’s orders that contained clear directions for the restoration of allotment.

Headed by Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, the bench expressed extreme displeasure over the conduct of the alleged contemnors, who in their comments denied the allegations.

The judges, however, noted that non-compliance of their order after 20 months made a case for the contempt proceedings. The bench also issued notices to the former administrator, Muhammad Hussain, and present administrator, Rauf Akhtar Farooqui, for non-compliance of the court’s order.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 27^th, 2014.