KARACHI: Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Saqib Nisar ordered on Wednesday the oil tankers’ terminal to shift from Shireen Jinnah Colony to Zulfiqarabad in 15 days.
Hearing the case in the Karachi registry in the presence of Mayor Waseem Akhtar and tankers’ association representatives, the chief justice also asked the mayor how many drains have been cleaned up by the local government.
Tankers’ Association chief Yousaf Shahwani informed the court that they were only provided 130 acres out of the total 200 acres at the new venue after which the chief justice inquired from the mayor about the discrepancy.
The mayor disputed the statistics and asked the court to send its official for inspection to ascertain the facts.
The chief justice then ordered the terminal to be shifted within 15 days and reiterated that no tanker should be seen in Shireen Jinnah Colony after two weeks. He also warned of strict action anyone who observes a strike on the matter.
When Shahwani voiced that shifting the terminal would not be possible in such a short notice, the chief justice asked him to show some love for the country.
The court then ordered the mayor to inspect the Zulfiqarabad terminal and apprise the court of its conditions by evening.
The apex court has been hearing the case since last year and has given similar deadlines in the past as well.
On April 28 this year, the Supreme Court had given 15 days to all oil tankers to shift to the Zulfikarabad terminal.
“After 15 days, Rangers and police officials will shift oil tankers from terminals within Karachi to Zulfikarabad oil terminal,” Justice Gulzar Ahmed had said while heading a two-member bench at the Supreme Court’s Karachi Registry.
The court is hearing a petition filed by Shagufta Bibi, a resident of Clifton’s Block-I, who requested the Chief Justice of Pakistan to order shifting of the oil tankers’ terminal from her locality.
Her letter was later converted into a constitutional petition.