KARACHI: The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday directed the government to continue vacating illegally occupied government residences and also dismissed a petition filed by Martin Quarters’ residents seeking a stay order on the action.
Government employees including children and women protested outside the SC Karachi Registry following the top court’s directions.
Moreover, the apex court ordered authorities concerned to vacate Pakistan Quarters and Pakistan Secretariat of illegal occupants as soon as possible.
The court also directed the officials concerned to review each petition filed by the residents.
A retired employee said, “We have been living here for 20 years.”
Justice Musheer Alam replied by saying that the possession would not turn legal even if an illegal occupant lived in the residence for a 100 years.
The judge also said that only present servicepersons were entitled to government lodgings.
The deputy attorney general (DAG) submitted a report regarding the matter which stated that a total of 4,168 government quarters had been illegally occupied.
The reports also said that illegally occupied houses in Bath Islands had been vacated while 639 houses in Martin quarters, 301 in Patel and 49 houses in Garden and Pakistan Quarters had been illegally occupied.
The federal government said that several families living in government colonies had occupied the residences illegally.
The colonies include Pakistan Quarters, FC Area, Martin Quarters, Clayton Quarters and others.
On the other hand, Pakistan Quarters’ residents claimed that the government did not own the Pakistan Quarters.
The residents also maintained that since 1980, not a single penny had been spent on the houses by the government.