KARACHI: Expressing displeasure over the civic authorities for allowing the use of public parks and other amenity plots for commercial purposes, the Supreme Court has directed them to remove all such illegal occupations across the metropolis.
Headed by Justice Gulzar Ahmed a three-judge bench had taken up the case related to cabin shops and other encroachments on plots reserved for recreational purposes at the apex court’s Karachi registry. Shakar Din had gone to the court against the civic authorities against removal of his cabin shop from the Lea Market neighbourhood. Justice Gulzar observed that entire city has turned into a mess of cabins and carts. No place could be granted for installing cabin shops in public parks and playgrounds, he added. Justice Maqbool Baqar, a member of the bench, asked the municipal commissioner to stop his subordinates from making the practice of allotting such public spaces at parks and other amenity plots for commercial use, a source of income. The court directed the Karachi commissioner to supervise anti-encroachment operation and ensure that these encroachments are removed from parks and playgrounds. The hearing was adjourned till Friday.
Published in Daily Times, July 27th 2017.
