National
May 8, 2021
KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Friday restrained the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation from carrying out demolition work to the properties at Gujjar and Orangi town drains area of which registered lease deeds for 99 years have been issued by the former city district government Karachi, the predecessor of KMC.
Hearing a petition against the demolition of leased houses in the garb of anti-encroachment drive on drains, the SHC’s division bench, headed by Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, however, observed that this interim order shall cease to have effect if any specific order for the demolition of 99 years leased properties, subject matter of the petition, has been passed by the Supreme Court. Petitioners counsel Faisal Siddiqui produced the order of the Supreme Court issued on August 12, 2020 submitting that order of the SC was to the extent of removing encroachments in and around the Gujjar and Orangi drains. He submitted that the SC had also directed the Sindh government to ensure rehabilitation of the affected persons/residents of the area and all necessary facilities should be provided as required for rehabilitation of a civilized society.