Supreme Court issues contempt of court notice to Saeed Ghani

F.P. Report

KARACHI: The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday dismissed the defence secretary’s report on razing illegal constructions on military lands and issued a contempt of court notice to Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani.

Justice Gulzar Ahmed presided over the hearing while Ghani commented against an earlier apex court order and apprised the bench that Mayor Waseem Akhtar “was not in favour of the buildings being demolished”.

Taking note of the statement, the judge issued the local government minister a contempt of court notice.

The attorney-general, defence secretary, advocate general including several others appeared at the apex court’s Karachi registry.

In addition, the bench heard anti-encroachment petitions. The judge remarked that “the military had not been authorised to hand over government-owned land to someone neither were they permitted to run wedding halls”.

Rejecting the defence ministry’s report, the SC ordered prompt action against illegal constructions and business centres on military lands and cantonments.

The judge expressed displeasure and further sought an update on the implementation of the anti-encroachment order from Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) Director-General Iftikhar Qaimkhani. The top court further ordered the chief secretary to initiate an anti-encroachment crackdown alongside Karachi mayor and authorities concerned.

The SC also demanded that Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) operations resume within a month and that the railway secretary razes encroachments on nearby lands within two months.