The Sindh Court (SHC) on Wednesday recalled its stay order regarding demolition of some houses in Karachi’s Liaquatabad area which fall in the site map of Lyari Expressway, and directed the residents to vacate the land till 8th of June 2016.
Headed by Justice Munib Akhter, the SHC bench was hearing the petition filed by the affectees of Lyari Expressway who moved the court against the authorities which intended to demolish their houses without compensating them as per market value and the verdict of the referee judge on the issue has yet to be announced.
During Wednesday’s hearing, the bench was told that the referee judge had gone through all the evidences and the matter had been fixed for final hearing before it. The petitioners’ counsel requested the court to extend the stay order but it was rejected by the bench. However, the court granted seven days time to the occupants to vacate their houses so that remaining work of the project could be completed. The court observed that no more extension could be granted and the interim stay order shall be recalled automatically after 8th of June 2016. It directed the residents to vacate their houses within seven days.
Earlier, as many as 50 petitioners, residents of Liaqatabad, Teen Hatti and Angara Goth, had submitted that they were told by the authorities that their houses were falling within the ambit of project’s land. For the completion of the project, these houses would be demolished, they said. They added that if they were compensated as per market value, they would give up their lands for the sake of this project.
