Daily Times

KARACHI: The Sindh government submitted a review petition in the Supreme Court (SC) against the current anti-encroachment drive in the city.

Reportedly, Advocate General Salman Talibuddin filed the review petition in the Karachi Registry of SC on Friday. The Sindh government submitted that human tragedies were occurring because of the ongoing anti-encroachment drive and unemployment had soared, especially in daily wage earners who had been deprived of their source of livelihood by the drive.

It further stated that several properties had official documents and pleaded to the court to issue an order staying the matter order till proper settlement of the issue. The petition stated that the provincial government was ready to work in a better manner to rid the city of its encroachments. “Thus, the court should review its earlier order to continue the anti-encroachment drive,” it appealed.

The Sindh Cabinet in its meeting on December 1 had decided to file a review petition against the ruling of the apex court. The government officials had also promised to provide alternate places to the shopkeepers affected in the ongoing anti-encroachment operation in Karachi. It was decided that in the first phase 4000 affected people will be provided an alternate place for their shops.

After Sindh government, the federal government also submitted a petition requesting the SC to review its orders to continue the anti-encroachment drive. “Federal government has moved SC to review its decision of launching an anti-encroachment operation in Karachi,” said Governor Imran Ismail while talking to journalists.

He said that the federation had filed a separate review petition in SC against anti-encroachment operation to safeguard rights of masses. It is pertinent to mention here that the federal government had decided to file a review petition after Sindh Governor Imran Ismail held a meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan and raised the issue of the Karachi shopkeepers few days back. The meeting discussed the anti-encroachment operation led by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC).

The apex court on October 2018, had directed the deputy commissioners, Rangers and cantonment board administrations to extend support to Karachi’s city government to remove encroachments from Empress Market and its neighbouring areas in Saddar. The decision led to the launch of the anti-encroachment drive.

The drive is being carried out by Karachi Development Authority (KDA), Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) and other civic authorities with the backing of law enforcement agencies (LEAs). Anti-encroachment drives have been conducted in Saddar, Light House, Jama Cloth and Aram Bagh among other areas of the city. Some political parties have shown concern over the massive anti-encroachment drive.

Published in Daily Times, December 8^th 2018.