Daily Times

KARACHI: Supreme Court Karachi Registry has directed administrations of Haji Abdullah Haroon Muslim (HAHM) Gymkhana and Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) Karachi not to undertake commercial activity of any sorts within the premises of respective organizations.

SC was overviewing the case matter on encroachment and illegal commercial activities in welfare bodies and on the very occasion explicitly ordered Shahzad Hussain, secretary to HAHM Gymkhana and Mushtaq Masieh, principal YMCA present, to stop commercial activities including holding of wedding ceremonies within their respective associations forthwith.

Letter AR (K)/2018-sck December 29, 2018 sent by Assistant Registrar SC Munwar Ali informed officials that under the meeting held on December 21, 2018 in SC Karachi Registry, these bodies were forbidden from commercial activity within their respective premises after December 2018.

On query of Chair, Principal YMCA informed that allotment of ground was for sports and due to some disputes, Nazir of Sindh High Court was appointed as an administrator and since year 2005 till date, Nazir was an administrator.

The Chair directed Nazir to submit comprehensive report as to who has permitted holding wedding function in grounds of YMCA and if such functions were being conducted under orders of SHC; such an order should be presented for examination before the court. The report would also give details about original allotment and status of cases of YMCA and provide all papers regarding its original allotment and its purpose of allotment.

The Chair further directed principal YMCA and Nazir that there should be no marriage ceremony in YMCA ground except those which have already been permitted up to end of December 2018. The Chair directed Commissioner Karachi to provide all such information along with relevant record of allotment of ground to YMCA in next meeting.

The Commissioner Karachi was further directed to provide relevant record regarding original allotment of land to Islam Gymkhana opposite pole ground which is now named to Abdullah Haroon Muslim Gymkhana. A detailed report was required to be made available to show status of such gymkhana.

The Chairman HAHM Gymkhana was asked to submit comprehensive report and directed to ensure that land of Gymkhana was used for its original purpose rather than marriage ceremonies. All walls built around gymkhana shall be removed and grills should be installed so as to give soft and good look to ground, court ordered.

The chairman Gymkhana insisted for not removing the surrounding wall as owing to firing incidents in past, but Chair directed DIGP Karachi South to appear in next meeting and ensure proper measures of security and non-interference while affairs of ground of gymkhana are taken care of.

Meanwhile, Chair directed Chief Engineer Pak PWD South Karachi to ensure compliance of direction given in minutes of meeting dated September 12, 2018 concerning the construction of boundary wall; it was suggested by Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa that instead of building a permanent wall, a temporary wall structure be erected so as to be removed at the time of construction of permanent wall.

Furthermore, the committee directed secretary Housing for taking immediate steps to start construction within a period of one week at site of new Branch Registry of SC. The Chair also directed Managing Director Karachi Water and Sewerage Board that installations of new pipelines and sewerage lines be completed at site without unnecessary delay.

Chairman directed all participants of meeting to comply with orders of the Court and ensure that all directives are complied with; to ensure removal of encroachments and plantations in their respective areas before next meeting as court will accept no excuse for not abiding by the orders.

In addition, Court also directed Water Board to recover and retrieve all sites of civic body installations and land from illegal encroachments. KMC and Commissioner Karachi were also directed by Court to submit compliance report of anti-encroachment drive in city till date.

Mumtaz Ali Shah, Sindh Chief Secretary, Iftikhar Ali Shallwani, Commissioner Karachi, Nadeem Akhtar Sheikh, Chief Engineer, Pak PWD, South Saifur Rehman, Municipal Commissioner KMC, Khalid Mehmood Sheikh, MD KWSB and Nazir SHC were present during Court proceedings.

Published in Daily Times, January 4^th 2019.