Daily Times

Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Mian Saqib Nisar said that the relevant authorities should send eviction notices to the residents who had their houses constructed on amenity plots 45 days before the operations.

He said this while hearing a case regarding the ongoing encroachment drive on Wednesday. The CJP forbade arbitrary razing of houses during the anti-encroachment drive and directed the federal, provincial and city governments to submit reports covering the measures that were being taken to relocate and rehabilitate residents whose businesses and houses had been razed during the anti-encroachment campaign. According to a report submitted by the authorities, 3,000 shops had been demolished in the past 37 days. Moreover, a joint framework on relocation of the affectees of the drive was also submitted in the SC today. The framework listed locations which the government was planning on relocating the affectees to. The framework lists Parking Plaza in Lines area, Frere Market, Vegetable section at Ranchore Line, an empty plot opposite Parking Plaza in Lines area, and other areas were submitted as potential relocation venues.

The report had suggested that residents of houses that built on amenity plots be issued an eviction notice 15 days before the anti-encroachment operation commences in order to give them enough time to make alternative accommodation arrangements.

However, the CJP ordered that authorities should give those who are going to be evicted at least 45 days to move. During the hearing, mayor said that so far, the authorities had relocated up to 515 shops and stalls in various parts of the city.

According to the report, footpaths, public parks, nullahs and amenity plots have been cleared in Empress Market, Umar Farooqi Market, Mairaj Market, Jahangir Park Market, Ali Dina Water Course Road Market, Jinnah Market, 03 shops Regal Chowk, 02 shops Akbar Road Market, Shops in Nanakwara Market and Khori Garden.

Furthermore, the submitted report stated that the authorities planned on continuing operations in Zoological Garden Market and Lea Market where encroachments were built under the mayor’s supervision.

Meanwhile, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) submitted a separate request to the court for funding. The request stated that the corporation required a sum of Rs 200 million (m) in order to meet the costs of the ongoing anti-encroachment drive and asked the Sindh government for a grant. Moreover, KMC recommended that the Sindh government ask the federal government’s help in order to meet ‘the shortfall of money’. The letter said that the corporation did not have adequate funding to cover lifting of debris after the demolition of encroachments from Empress Market. Moreover, the corporation said that it did not have sufficient funding to cover repair work of footpaths, roads and other infrastructure damaged in the drive. The court ruled that Sindh Government provide the required funds to KMC.

Published in Daily Times, December 13^th 2018.