SHC summons Secretary Local Govt in Lyari Expressway case

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court summoned the secretary local government while hearing a contempt plea against the Lyari Expressway Resettlement project, ARY News reported on Thursday.

A two-member bench of the high court hearing a petition with regard to failure in allotment of alternate plots to the affected people.

The court expressed resentment over the government’s failure to appoint director of the Lyari Expressway Resettlement project.

“It is a very regretful situation, the court daily receiving petitions of affected people,” Justice Zafar Ahmed Rajput remarked.

“If the people think that the authority has escaped after closing its office,” Justice Rajpur questioned.

“There is no project director, a clerk is sitting in office and I am their lawyer,” the counsel of project told the bench. “No one knows who is holding the charge,” the lawyer added.

“Who will resolve land disputes,” the court said in an interchange with the deputy advocate general. “A office used to retain after completion of a project to settle land disputes,” the bench observed.

“The advocate general should ask the government about it,” Justice Faisal Kamal Alam said.

“The chief secretary has been asked to consider over the situation,” the DAG said. “A hearing of other cases of Lyari Expressway also fixed before court on December 22,” the DAG said.

The court summoned provincial local government on Dec 22 and adjourned further hearing of the case till date.