Angry SHC asks KMC why it demolished houses near Gujjar Nullah

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court has Monday directed the city authorities to stop the demolitions of houses along Gujjar Nullah and has taken to task for not heeding its earlier similar order, ARY News reported.

The court asked Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) why did it not heed earlier court orders of not demolition the houses considered to be in violation of land laws and continued to raze the residences of people.

Those who have violated court orders will be dealt with legally, said the SHC judge.

It has ordered to stop any further demolitions and has asked KMC to not go forward with its anti-encroachment operations in Qabail Colony, Nazimabad and the adjacent areas, until the appeals have all been dealt with.

Until the conclusion and decision on the pending appeals, there shall be no further demolitions along nullahs, said SHC.

THe court has sought repsonse of the complainants to be furnished by November 8 while the lawyers have submitted the evidence of demolitions.

Top court directs Sindh govt to rehabilitate nullah affectees within year

Earlier last month, the Supreme Court bench released the written order on compensating the affectees of Gujjar and Orangi nullahs

The Karachi registry bench of the top court, headed by the Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Gulzar Ahmed, has written that reason cited by the Sindh government over lack of funds to rehabilitate the effectees, whose houses were demolished in the cleaning drive, is not acceptable.

Take every possible step to compensate them, the written order said.

With all basic utilities, the government is directed to resettle them within a year and for which the initial report must be furnished within two weeks from now.