SC rejects plea to stop demolition of mosque in Karachi

ISLAMABAD (APP): The Supreme Court on Tuesday overruled Attorney General for Pakistan’s appeal to reconsider court orders to demolish Madina Mosque in Karachi.
A three-member SC bench comprising Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed, Justice Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin and Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan heard the case pertaining to demolition of encroachments in Karachi.
During the course of proceedings, the Attorney General (AGP) pleaded the court to reconsider its December 21, 2021 order regarding demolition of Madina Mosque on Tariq Road Karachi.
He said that religious tensions were rising due to the court’s order. Upon this, the Chief Justice responded that the Sindh government could provide alternative land for mosque, if it wanted.
Addressing the AGP, he said that “I have seen a park with my own eyes”.
Justice Qazi Amin said that religion was being used in land grabbing. He said that there was a difference between a place of worship and a place of residence.
Building a mosque on encroached land was a non-religious act as Islam did not allow this, he added. He said that if anyone wanted to build a mosque should built with own funds.
He said that there was a difference between a place of worship and a place of residence.
The attorney general said that he knew it was the federal and provincial government’s duty to provide land for the mosque.
He again pleaded the court to reconsider its decision.
The Chief Justice said that the court could only order a delay in the demolition of the mosque until a new site was found for it.
The Attorney General said that the Sindh government was not a party in the case. He pleaded the court to seek a detailed report on the mosque from the provincial government, and the demolition should be stopped till then.
Upon this, the Chief Justice remarked that the order to remove encroachments from the park would not be withdrawn. Should the court withdrew all its orders? he asked.
The AGP pleaded the court to stop the order to demolish the mosque till the submission of Sindh government’s report.
The Chief Justice said that the order to remove encroachments from the park would not be withdrawn.
He asked what was the use of all this action if the bench start withdrawing its decisions.
Later, the court sought a report from the Sindh government within three weeks and adjourned hearing till January 13.