KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Friday restrained the authorities concerned from demolishing 78 houses in Mujahid Colony till Jan 22.

Headed by Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi, a two-judge bench appointed a nazir as commissioner to carry out the inspection of the site by associating the nominees of the petitioners and official respondents within seven days.

Pervez Khan and other residents of the area approached the SHC and submitted that they were the owners of 78 residential houses located in Mujahid Colony, North Nazimabad. The lawyers for the petitioner, Syed Haider Imam Rizvi and Tahmasp Rasheed Razvi, argued that the houses were constructed as per original layout plan and the revised layout plan of the SKAA.

They also stated that allotment orders had been issued to the petitioners and one of them had also been given lease.

The counsels contended that recently, the KDA and KMC had launched a drive to remove the alleged encroachments made on the 150-foot-wide road in Mujahid Colony. However, they maintained that under the garb of such demolition process, the respondents had threatened the petitioners to demolish their houses as well, which were neither illegal nor part of the road in question.

The lawyers further argued that Mujahid Colony was a duly notified and approved Katchi Abadi falling within the domain of the Sindh Katchi Abadis Authority and, thus, the KDA and KMC had no jurisdiction over such houses.

They contended that the subject area of the petitioners was not covered under the orders of the apex court. They pleaded to restrain the respondents from taking any adverse action of demolition against the owners of about 78 houses.

Published in Dawn, December 17th, 2022