KARACHI: An anti-encroachment tribunal restrained on Thursday the provincial and local authorities concerned from demolishing houses built over leased land during the ongoing anti-encroachment operation along the Gujjar Nullah.

The presiding officer of the tribunal, Shakil Ahmed Abbasi, also directed the deputy commissioner Central and KMC director for anti-encroachment among other respondents to submit their comments by April 8 on the suits filed against them by some residents of the neighbourhoods around the nullah.

Around 50 residents had filed a suit before the tribunal against the officers of the provincial government and the city administration under sections 13 and 14 of the Sindh Public Property (Removal of Encroachment) Act.

The affectees, through their attorney Khawaja Altaf, submitted that they had built houses in blocks 5, 18, 19 and other areas of Kausar Niazi Colony after obtaining proper leases from the authorities.

They contended that the Sindh Katchi Abadis Authority, Karachi Development Authority and the KMC, had granted them 99-year leases in respect of the plots in question between the 1970s and 2002, where they had built their houses after fulfilling all legal formalities.

Published in Dawn, March 26th, 2021