The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) has directed the Karachi administration to raze the Pavilion End Club and end all commercial activities on an amusement park in Gulshan-i-Iqbal.
According to reports, a three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed, noted that the Aladin Park was converted into Pavilion End Club and membership was being offered against fees along with other commercial activities, and directed the Karachi administrator to immediately demolish the club and end other commercial activities on the park’s premises.
The court also directed to file a compliance report within two days.
During the hearing of a separate case, the apex court vacated all the stay orders stopping anti-encroachment drive in the port city and issued directives to the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) to restart work to widen Gujjar Nullah and Orangi Nullah ahead of monsoon season.
The KMC counsel submitted that the work on the expansion of Gujar and Orangi nullahs was underway in pursuance of the top court orders, but the anti-encroachment tribunal has stopped them from razing the leased houses.
The chief law officer of Sindh apprised the bench that a total of Rs20,000 per month rent would be given to the affectees of the nullahs. To which, the chief justice observed who is responsible for leasing the nullahs, saying the Sindh government is responsible for leasing the land of drain.
As the affectees of the Gujar and Orangi nullahs anti-encroachment operation protested outside the court premises and demanded a ‘house for a house’, the apex court annulled all restraining orders against the anti-encroachment drive. Besides, the court dismissed the dwellers’ plea against the anti-encroachment drive and request for compensation, observing how the court can give relief to the people occupying the state’s land.
Counsel for the affectees, Faisal Siddiqui, apprised the bench that KDA, Katchi Abadi Department and KMC have granted the lease of the houses, saying the top court has not given any order to build a road around the canals as the decision of the SC is being misinterpreted in this regard.
“It is all a matter of China cutting. If the land is government-owned, how can relief be given to the affectees?” Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed inquired. “Don’t know how these leases were given. This land is not the land of the affectees.”
Advocate Siddiqui submitted that the leases of houses belonging to the rich should also be checked to which a member of the bench Justice Ijazul Ahsan plainly observed that the counsel should take the leases to the concerned department and prove these.
In another case, the chief justice observed that people in Tharparkar are desperate for a drop of water even today. “Not a single reserve plant was installed but Rs1500 million were spent,” he added.
“What plan does the government have?” the chief justice asked the Advocate General, observing that the situation is getting worse.
