KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Tuesday directed the provincial government to ensure disbursement of funds for payment of special judicial allowance to the judiciary staff.

A two-judge constitutional bench of the SHC, headed by Justice Muhammad Karim Khan Agha, also sought a compliance report at the next hearing and said that in case of failure, the chief secretary Sindh and other alleged contemnors will appear in person.

Three petitions were filed in 2018 by the judicial staff of the SHC and district judiciary, seeking directives for the provincial authorities concerned to defreeze the special judicial allowance for all the cadres of the officers and staff of the SHC and subordinate judiciary in Sindh with effect from July 2016.

On June 21, 2024, the SHC had allowed the petitions and directed the provincial authorities to defreeze and release the amount of special judicial allowance to the staff of judiciary in the province within two months.

However, citing the Sindh chief secretary, finance secretary and law secretary as alleged contemnors, the petitioners again moved the SHC, seeking contempt of court proceedings against them for flouting its June 21, 2024 order.

Thereafter, the SHC had issued repeated directives to the respondents / alleged contemnors to implement its orders about the release of special judicial allowance and in the last hearing, the bench had issued show-cause notices to the respondents.

At the outset of the Tuesday hearing, Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab turned up to represent the chief secretary and finance secretary while law secretary Fayaz Jatoi along with a provincial law officer was also in attendance.

They informed the bench that the provincial cabinet had approved the budget proposals which included amount of funds for payment to the judicial staff as special allowance as per the 2024 order of the SHC.

It is anticipated that the amount will be approved in the upcoming budget by the provincial assembly, they maintained.

The bench in its order said, “If this is the case, the government of Sindh shall ensure disbursement of the relevant funds pursuant to the court’s order. In the meanwhile, show-cause notices shall remain suspended and this matter shall come up on 15.08.2025, when learned AAG shall submit a compliance report failing which the alleged contemnors shall be present in person before this court”.

Removal of encroachments from Saddar ordered

A judicial magistrate directed the SHO of the Preedy police station to take action against unauthorised pushcarts, encroachments and other obstructions in the Saddar area.

The directive came from Judicial Magistrate (South) Muzammil Ali Soomro while hearing an application filed by Advocate Imran Ali under Section 133 (conditional order for removal of nuisance) of the criminal procedure code, seeking removal of illegal carts from roads in Saddar.

After hearing the applicant and examining a report submitted by the police official, the court directed the Preedy police station SHO to take immediate action for removal of “all unauthorised carts, encroachments, and obstructions from Doctor Dawood Pota Road, particularly in the nearby area of Dastageer Centre, Garden Road, Saddar, Karachi”.

It also instructed the police official to ensure that such encroachments do not reappear and ordered him to submit a compliance report on or before June 30.

In its application, Advocate Ali submitted before the court that a number of pushcarts and encroachments had unlawfully occupied public roads, particularly in the Saddar area — within the jurisdiction of the Preedy police station.

He further stated that encroachments and unauthorised carts were causing serious obstruction to the free flow of traffic and pedestrian movement, creating nuisance and posing a risk to public safety and convenience.

He urged the court to order removal of the illegal and unlawful carts from public roads to ensure a smooth flow of vehicular traffic.

The order also mentioned that it had received a report from the police station concerned in which they admitted the version of the complainant and informed that FIRs had been registered against offenders.

Published in Dawn, June 18th, 2025