KARACHI: Police on Tuesday informed the Sindh High Court that apart from one thoroughfare, all the roads around the National Stadium Karachi have been opened for traffic. 

They further said that only Sir Shah Suleman Road was being blocked during the ongoing matches of the Pakistan Super League and it was opened for emergency vehicles. 

When a two-judge bench headed by Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar took up for hearing an application seeking contempt proceedings against authorities concerned for allegedly violating its earlier order by blocking roads near NSK, Karachi police chief Ghulam Nabi Memon along with some DIGs and other officials of police and traffic police turned up. 

They gave a clear statement that all roads were opened and they also removed containers used to block the roads. However, only one road ie Sir Shah Suleman Road was being blocked during PSL matches and emergency vehicles were allowed to use it. 

The city police chief says only Sir Shah Suleman Road is blocked for the ongoing matches 

The statement was supported by the counsel for the petitioner and other lawyers. 

The police officials also submitted a compliance report about the murder of Usama Saeed as on the last hearing victim’s grandfather Advocate Hanif Bandhani had filed an application to be become intervener on the ground that his grandson was shot and wounded in a mugging attempt and died since he could not be brought to a hospital in time due to blocked roads on the account of PSL. 

Police stated in the reports that three suspects had been arrested in the case and one was still at large and the identification parade of the held suspects would be conducted before a judicial magistrate in a couple of days. 

The grandfather of the victim informed the bench that he was satisfied with the investigation being conducted by the police. 

The bench directed the investigating officer of the case to complete the investigation diligently and submit the investigation report in the competent court. 

The bench said that on the last hearing it had also asked the inspector general of police to issue directives to all SHOs to ensure deployment of proper police force on the blocked roads to avoid incidents of street crimes. 

The city police chief submitted that this message had been communicated to all SHOs through wireless to ensure strict vigilance and security and he also undertook that letters will also be issued by the IG for conveying these directions to all SHOs across the province. 

The bench disposed of the contempt application after the lawyers for petitioner and intervener were satisfied with the compliance in pursuance of court orders. 

Petitioner Aziz Fatima of Pasban moved a contempt application and submitted that despite giving clear undertaking by SP-Traffic (East) and focal person of the home department in the Feb 17 order not to block two main roads near NSK during the ongoing matches of PSL, the alleged contemnors had again blocked these roads and committed contempt of court. 

KDA pensioners’ case

The same bench on Tuesday directed the Sindh chief minister to expedite the proceedings and make some efforts to ensure that a summary about grant of loan for payment of pensionary dues of former employees of the Karachi Development Authority was passed on an early date. 

When a set of petitions of retired employees of KDA over non-payment of post-retirement benefits came up for hearing, an assistant advocate general submitted a statement of the Sindh chief secretary stating that the summary for grant of loan to settle pensionary dues had been sent to the chief minister on Feb 9. 

In an earlier hearing, the KDA officials said that they did not have sufficient funds to settle the liability or even to pay salaries to its employees.

Published in Dawn, March 3rd, 2021