SC orders Sindh govt to decide how to restore Karachi to its 40-year-old state

KARACHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the Sindh government to decide how to restore Karachi’s infrastructure according to its original master plan and lambasted the city authorities for failing to remove illegal constructions in the city.

A two-judge bench headed by Justice Gulzar Ahmed rejected a report presented by the Sindh government and Karachi Development Authority regarding restoration of Karachi’s infrastructure, as it heard a petition against illegal constructions in the megalopolis.

During today’s hearing, Justice Gulzar told the Advocate General Sindh that the report was of no use and ordered Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah to call a cabinet meeting and submit a comprehensive report on removal of encroachments within two weeks. 

"The report is of no use. If we passed an order on the basis of this report, your entire government will be sent [crashing]," Justice Gulzar admonished the advocate general. 

"Don't tell us bedtime stories. We are not here to be put to sleep," the  judge said, as he vowed that the city would be restored to its original master plan. 

Karachi’s infrastructure has been destroyed, Justice Gulzar observed, adding that all the institutions shared responsibility for the state of the city.

The court further ordered to raze all constructions on Malir stream and end all commercial activities on land owned by the military. 

Earlier on January 22, the apex court had imposed a complete ban on conversion of residential and amenity plots into commercial spaces in Karachi and directed the concerned authorities to take steps to restore the city to its 40-year-old state.

The top court had said all conversions allowed by the city authorities would be reviewed and all efforts would be made to ensure that land originally provided in the master plan of Karachi was restored to its 40-year-old state.