KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Thursday summoned the director parks in a petition challenging the commercial use of public parks in the metropolis.

A two-judge bench of the SHC, headed by Justice Mohammad Iqbal Kalhoro, directed him to appear on Aug 26 and apprise the court of how many parks have been handed over under public-private partnerships in accordance with a City Council resolution.

Opposition leader in the City Council, Saifuddin Advocate, along with Jamaat-i-Islami’s chairmen of TMCs, including New Karachi, Liaquatabad, Gulberg, Nazimabad, North Nazimabad, Model Colony, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Jinnah, and Landhi, as well as a member of the City Council, had filed a petition last month challenging the City Council’s decision to allow the conversion of amenity park plots for commercial use on a rental basis, allegedly in collusion with private parties.

At the last hearing, the SHC had issued notices to the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), Karachi Development Authority (KDA), and other respondents, as well as the provincial law officer, for Aug 7.

However, at the outset of the hearing on Thursday, the lawyers for the KMC and KDA filed powers of attorney (vakalatnamas) and sought more time to submit their comments.

The bench in its order said, “Adjourned to 26.08.2025, when director parks, Karachi shall be present in person and apprise the court as to how many parks have been leased out or given on the basis of public-private partnership in terms of resolution 134”.

Earlier, the petitioners submitted that the KMC, in collusion with private entities, was unlawfully converting amenity park plots into commercial ventures under the guise of public-private partnership agreements.

They also contended that such commercial activities included establishing sports grounds and charging exorbitant fees for their use, parking water tankers, and conducting other profit-driven operations.

Published in Dawn, August 8th, 2025