SC rejects Fed govt’s plea to halt demolition drive at Gujjar, Orangi nullahs

KARACHI: Supreme Court of Pakistan on Wednesday sought alternate housing arrangements for Gujjar and Orangi nullahs’ affectees while rejecting a plea from the federal government to halt the demolition drive, ARY NEWS reported.

During a hearing into a case pertaining to anti-encroachment drive in the city at the Supreme Court Karachi Registry, the apex court sought an alternate housing plan for affectees of Gujjar and Orangi nullahs.

“What is the plan of the Sindh government to resettle the affectees,” the court remarked.

During the hearing, the attorney general said that a human catastrophe is feared as 40,000 people would be displaced owing to the demolition drive at both the nullahs.

“We request you to halt the demolition drive until the next hearing of the case or at least stop it for the next week,” he said adding that leased housing units should not be demolished unless an alternate arrangement is made for the affectees.

The attorney general further offered to sit with the NDMA and chief minister Sindh to sort out the issues on an urgent basis.

However, the apex court rejected the plea and directed the authorities to continue with their action against encroachments alongside the Gujjar and Orangi nullahs.

The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) on Tuesday released a written order in an anti-encroachment case, directing the authorities to compensate the affectees of Gujjar and Orangi Nullahs.

The apex court bench headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed directed the authorities to complete the expansion work of the Gujjar and Orangi nullahs and annulled all stay orders issued against it from tribunals and Sindh High Court.

The NDMA and Sindh government should continue their work, the court directed while further ordering the authorities to compensate the affectees as per law.

The apex court also directed to recover the land of Kidney Hill Park within two days. “Illegal construction should be demolished from the amenity plot and be converted into a park,” the court ordered.

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