The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday once again summoned the district municipal corporation central’s administrator along with explanation for allowing commercial activities on the amenity plots in North Nazimabad area.
A division bench headed by Justice Sajjad Ali Shah had taken up a petition filed by Syed Ashraf Hussain, president of an NGO, who approached the court against the civic authorities for allowing illegal use of plots meant for recreational activities.
The petitioner submitted that the Karachiites had been facing difficulties owing to lack of proper civic facilities and unlawful occupation of the amenity properties by land grabbers in cahoots with the local administration.
He said the municipal authorities had allotted several plots earmarked for the parks and playgrounds for the commercial activities in North Nazimanbad. He added that he had approached the provincial ombudsman against this illegal acts but the matter was yet to be decided.
The petitioner said the North Nazimabad town officer had also admitted before the ombudsman that municipal authorities had temporarily allotted the private company an amenity plot for setting up its outlet of pizza hut for a period of five years under an agreement. In similar way, he said, the other plots were allotted.
He pointed out that an area around two flyovers in North Nazimabad was also encroached upon by a builder for a project known as Saima Bridge View, adding that the space around the flyovers was left for parks and expansion of roads but the same was also occupied.
The petitioner said this illegal allotment of amenity properties under the garb of generating funds for the corporation was ongoing in the area and residents were deprived of the recreational facility. He pleaded to the court to restrain the municipal authorities from allowing commercial use of the amenity plots and cancel all agreements in this regard.