Anti-encroachment drive: Authorities submit joint action plan in SC

KARACHI: Federal government, the government of Sindh and the Mayor Karachi have submitted a joint action plan with regard to the ongoing anti-encroachment operation in the city, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

The apex court has ordered the authorities to continue the anti-encroachment drive in the city.
Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Saqib Nisar has ordered the city authorities to issue notices of 45 days to the houses and markets established on the amenity plots, before removal of the illegal encroachment.

The bench also ordered the Sindh to release an amount of 200 mln rupees’ to the city government for the anti-encroachment operation.

The bench also dismissed a petition filed by the Traders Alliance seeking suspension of the anti-encroachment drive in the city.

A bench of the apex court yesterday turned down the Sindh government’s plea to stop the ongoing anti-encroachment operation in the port city and directed the federal, provincial and municipal authorities to sit together to work out a plan for provision of alternate places to the people affected by the operation.

Headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar, a bench of the top court was hearing a petition filed by the Sindh government at its Karachi registry.

The provincial government moved the petition seeking directives for the civic authorities to halt the operation against illegal constructions in the city.

CJP Nisar directed the federal and provincial governments as well as Karachi Mayor Waseem Akhtar to discuss the operation and work out a plan for rehabilitation of the affectees and apprise the court about it by 12pm on Tuesday night.

The Advocate General Sindh complained to the judges that the mayor doesn’t have a rehabilitation plan and requested them to issue a restraining order against the operation for a period of four weeks. The mayor was razing encroachments at fast pace, he added.

At this, the top judge said it is the responsibility of the provincial government to devise such a plan. “We can’t stop the operation against encroachments,” he said, adding that if it is stopped now, then it may not be carried out in future.