KARACHI: The Supreme Court is set to hear some important cases regarding unauthorised constructions in the provincial metropolis, encroachments on amenity plots, commercial activities on cantonment lands, conversion of residential and amenity plots into commercial spaces and implementation on the Karachi law and order verdict on Thursday and Friday.

A three-judge bench, to be headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed and comprising Justice Faisal Arab and Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, will take up the cases at the apex court’s Karachi registry.

The officials of the apex court had already put the departments and officials concerned on notice for Feb 6 and 7.

The cases of unauthorised constructions, encroachments on public spaces, conversation of amenity plots, alleged corruption in the Sindh Coal Authority and provincial energy department and an appeal against the demolition order of the Sea Breeze Plaza are fixed before the bench on Thursday (today).

The bench will also take up a matter about the implementation on the judgement of the apex court in the Karachi suo motu law and order case as well as removal of unauthorised encroachments at the Zulfikarabad Oil Terminal on Thursday.

The chief justice of Pakistan will head a three-judge bench at the Karachi registry

CJP Ahmed had passed several orders against unauthorised and illegal constructions, encroachments on amenity plots, parks and other public spaces, commercial activities on cantonment lands, conversion of residential and amenity plots into commercial spaces and to restore the past glory of the provincial metropolis.

The then chief justice of Pakistan, Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, had taken a suo motu notice about the deteriorating law and order situation of the provincial metropolis and a five-judge bench of the apex court had passed a detailed judgement in October 2011. Later, the apex court had initiated follow-up proceedings to monitor the implementation of its verdict and also issued several orders during the lengthy implementation proceedings spanning over several years.

Another three-bench of the apex court, to be headed by Justice Mushir Alam and comprising Justice Maqbool Baqar and Justice Munib Akhtar, will also hear the cases on Thursday and Friday at the apex court’s Karachi registry.

Published in Dawn, February 6th, 2020