KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Wednesday restrained a director of the Air Force Officer Housing Scheme (AFOHS) from allowing the construction of a private bank on an amenity plot in PAF Falcon Complex on Shaheed-i-Millat Road.

Justice Shafi Siddiqui, who headed a single bench, issued the interim order on a lawsuit filed by Jamshed Chandiwala and other residents of Falcon Complex who impleaded the AFOHS and other respondents in the case pertaining to the construction on the amenity plot in the complex reserved for parks, jogging tracks, parking and other amenities.

The judge issued notices to the AFOHS director, assistant director, military land and cantonments, military estate officer and the Cantonment Board Faisal for filing comments.

The plaintiffs submitted in the petition that the original master plan of the PAF Falcon Complex was approved in 1998 and they and other residents purchased the plots in consideration of amenity plots available in the complex as per the approved master plan.

The residents argued that the AFOHS without having the authority and making any amendment to the master plan converted some amenity plots to be used for commercial purposes.

One of the amenity plots had been allotted to a private bank for the construction of its branch in the society, the petitioners said.

If such construction was allowed it would be sheer violation of the approved plan, they said, while requesting the court to restrain the respondents from raising any such construction on amenity plot.

The hearing of case was adjourned till April 16.

Contempt of court

Meanwhile, a division bench of the Sindh High Court issued notices to the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) administrator and the SITE chairman for disobeying a court order, restraining the KMC and other entities from carrying out development work at the places where underground phone cables are laid.

Chief Justice Maqbool Baqar, who headed the division bench, once again directed the KMC, the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board, SITE and other entities to carry out any development work at any place where PTCL underground infrastructure is laid after intimating PTCL authorities so that phone cables could be protected from any damage.—PPI