Sindh files review petition against anti-encroachment drive

KARACHI: The government of Sindh has filed a review petition against Supreme Court’s ruling of launching an anti-encroachment operation in Karachi, ARY News reported on Friday.

The provincial government in its petition pleaded for review of the apex court’s earlier orders.

The petition said that several properties have official documents and pleaded to the court to issue an order staying the matter order till proper settlement of the issue.

The Sindh Cabinet in its meeting on December 1st, had decided to file a review petition against the ruling of the apex court.

The government officials had also promised to provide alternate places to the shopkeepers affected in the ongoing anti-encroachment operation in Karachi. In the first phase 4000 affected people will be provided an alternate place for their shops.

It is pertinent to mention here that the federal government has also decided to file a review petition after Sindh Governor Imran Ismail held a meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan and raised the issue of the Karachi shopkeepers. The meeting discussed the anti-encroachment operation led by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC).

The apex court had in October 2018 directed the deputy commissioners, Rangers and cantonment board administrations to extend support to Karachi’s city government to remove encroachments from Empress Market and its neighbouring areas in Saddar. The decision led to the launch of the anti-encroachment drive.

The KMC with the KDA also busy removing encroachments and illegal structures on court orders on a petition of former city nazim Advocate Niamatullah Khan seeking removing encroachments from 162 amenity plots in Karachi.