KARACHI: The Supreme Court has expressed dissatisfaction at the federal defence secretary’s report on removal of encroachments from cantonment lands in Karachi and cessation of commercial activities there.

Last week, Defence Secretary retired Lt Gen Ikramul Haq assured the court that all of its orders would be complied with in letter and spirit and all commercial activities on the cantonment lands all over Karachi would expeditiously come to an end.

He gave this undertaking before a two-judge bench, headed by Justice Gulzar Ahmed, during the hearing of a case regarding removal of encroachments on amenity plots in cantonment areas in Karachi.

During the hearing at the SC’s Karachi registry, the defence secretary filed the report in compliance with the court’s Jan 22 orders for removal of encroachments from amenity plots in the city cantonments and cessation of commercial activities there.

The bench took the report on record. “On going through the said report, we find that such report is neither comprehensive nor complete or gives proper answers to the orders that this court has already passed,” said the court order issued by the SC office on Tuesday.

The court order further said, “the Secretary, Defence... is going to see that all orders of the this court are complied with in letter and spirit and all commercial activities going on the cantonment lands all over Karachi are ensured to be removed and such is done expeditiously.”

The court directed the secretary to submit to the court a report on compliance of its orders on the next date of hearing.

During the last week hearing, the apex court had expressed displeasure over non-compliance of the court’s directives, which had been issued by it three months ago, by the secretary.

Attorney General Anwar Mansoor Khan had maintained that the court’s entire order had been complied with in letter and spirit, except a couple of points contained in it.

Published in Dawn, May 16th, 2019