SHC issues notices on petition against formation of Keamari district

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Thursday issued notices to the Sindh chief secretary, the local government secretary and others on a petition challenging the provincial government’s decision of carving a seventh district out of Karachi.

A two-judge SHC bench was hearing the petition filed by PTI MNA Aamir Liaquat Hussain who questioned the formation of Keamari district. The court directed the official respondents to submit their comments by next hearing.

During the hearing, the petitioner’s lawyer placed on record a notification regarding the creation of Keamari district.

At the previous hearing, the SHC had turned down a request by the petitioner to issue notices on his petition saying it can’t do so until the notification is submitted in the court.

“Karachi used to be a district and then was divided into four districts. Malir district was carved out of it and Korangi was later given the status of a district and now Keamari has been declared the seventh district. We have to see what illegal act was committed,” Justice Mazhar had remarked.

Aamir Liaquat stated in his petition that the PPP-led provincial government’s move to create Keamari district by bifurcating Karachi’s West district reeks of bias. It didn’t even take the local government into confidence on the creation of the new district, he added. He requested the court to declare such a move illegal.