KARACHI, Feb 14: The Shehri, a civil society organization, has said that the intention of the city government to convert park amenity plot ST-21/B and ST-21 in Clifton's Block-5 on main Khiyaban-i-Saadi also known as the Hippodrome site for the relocation of a foreign mission is unacceptable to the citizens of Karachi as it violates the rules pertaining to park amenity plot.

In a statement issued on Monday, the Shehri said that the law clearly states 'space reserved for parks and playground shall not be converted for any other amenity or for any other use.'

The Karachi Building and Town Planning Regulations 19-2.2.1 on the location of foreign missions also says, "Foreign missions can only be located on plots classified for use under Government Uses. Foreign missions cannot be established on plots designated for any other use."

In December 2003, Sindh High Court Justices Sabihuddin Ahmed and Amir Hani Muslim upheld the Karachi Development Authority (Sindh Amendment) Act 1994 declaring that 'no amenity shall be converted to or utilized for any other purposes. (This was 1040sq-yds plots ST-2, Block-2 in Gulistan-i-Jauhar).

The order further stated that the 1994 KDA (Amendment) Act forbade the conversion of an amenity plot even by special permission or by the alteration of the Zonal plan, the statement further added.

The Shehri said it was very clear that there was no provision in the law and otherwise whereby the provincial government through the city district government could change the status of this amenity plot. The protest by citizens should be taken seriously and consideration of their concern should be upheld, the organization demanded. -PPI