Nothing has been done in Karachi for the past 20 years
neither the Sindh government was performing nor the local bodies.
“Karachi is an orphaned city currently,” said AGP Javed.
KARACHI (WEB DESK)
The Supreme Court on Wednesday lashing out at the provincial and local government gave National Disaster Management Authority three months to clean out Karachi’s drains and remove encroachments.
Hearing the case pertaining to encroachments in Haji Lemo Goth area, a three-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed, declared the city commissioner’s report unsatisfactory.
Sindh government has failed to provide basic rights to the residents of Karachi, remarked the bench, warning that the consequences of this would be dire. Nothing has been done in Karachi for the past 20 years, noted the bench, adding that neither the Sindh government was performing nor the local bodies.
It appears as if the provincial government is enjoying the state Karachiites are in – law enforcement is not apparent anywhere, roads are constructed through public-private partnerships, mosquitos and bees swarm every street, sewerage water is flowing through the city while people use planks to walk across streets, observed the CJP.
“Is this how a mega city is run,” asked Justice Ijazul Hassan. Encroachments are removed when the court takes action, he remarked.
During the hearing Attorney General of Pakistan Khalid Javed apprised the apex court that the Centre is considering various legal and constitutional resources for Karachi.
The AGP said that, at the moment, he wasn’t in the position to state what those options might be, but a detailed discussion was held with Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Meanwhile, Sindh advocate-general said that the encroachments in Karachi will be removed within two months. The people retaliate when the authorities move to remove encroachments, he said.
There are 38 large drains in the city, Commissioner Karachi Iftikhar Shallwani told the court. He said that the NDMA has cleaned out three of the city’s drains.
At this the CJP asked why was the NDMA not asked to clean out all of the city’s drains. No arrangements were made when the monsoon rains were set to begin in Karachi, he remarked.
Who will improve the condition of the city, the CJP inquired of the advocate-general. “The situation in Karachi is alarming. There are no roads, no electricity, no water…where is the writ of the government in Karachi? Pakistan is among the countries better off in terms of resources. Do people have to go to the Supreme Court for [such] issues in other countries too?” he remarked.
The government is in place but it does not perform, remarked the court. People have resorted to building houses on drains, while mafias exist with the sole purpose to make money, it observed.
You don’t even know whose property has been registered under whose name, stated the bench directing its annoyance at the city’s authorities. You haven’t done anything from Karachi to Kashmore, it remarked, adding that all the projects that were initiated in Sindh have gone to waste.
“Karachi, Sukkur, Hyderabad, Larkana, Dadu…in no area of Sindh work being carried out. Not a single rupee is spent, the money just comes and goes,” remarked the bench.
The apex court directed NDMA to clean out the city’s drains within three months and remove encroachments on either sides of the drains as well. The court also sought a report from the NDMA on the same within three months.