Daily Times

KARACHI: The Supreme Court on Friday ordered all illegal structures within the jurisdiction of Cantonment Board Clifton (CBC) in Karachi to be demolished immediately.

A three-member bench of the SC, headed by Chief Justice Pakistan (CJP) Justice Gulzar Ahmed, heard the case against building violations in CBC-controlled areas of Karachi.

The court during the hearing ordered to demolish all illegal constructions in Delhi colony, Punjab colony, PNT and all illegal buildings situated at Karachi’s Gizri road. “Who is allowing construction at a land allotted to federal government officials for quarters”? the CJP inquired.

At which the officials of Cantonment Board Clifton (CBC) informed CJP Gulzar Ahmed that they took action against illegal constructions in the above-mentioned areas.

The court took an exception over non-compliance of the court directives with regard to revival of the KCR and observed that the Sindh government did nothing for the revival of KCR but entangled the issue with CPEC, which will take several years.

The attorney general told CJP that some of the builders have taken stay order from the court. “It is not possible for us to demolish illegal constructions as the matter is already in court, ” Advocate General Sindh argued in the court.

The court made it clear that no exploitation would be allowed after it was informed that SBCA officials were allegedly taking bribes and allowing construction of multi-storey buildings on small plots.

The court also directed the chief secretary to get rid of all the encroachments in the city and put in a request for the re-settlement of the residents of the katchi abadis and affected people. He also directed the officials to invite the recommendations of experts through media.

The court also directed the authorities to build a park at Nehr-e-Khayyam, and banned commercial buildings near the site.