KARACHI, Aug 20: The government on Tuesday showed some flexibility on compensation to the families being affected by the Lyari Expressway project by submitting before a division bench of the Sindh High Court its proposals in the light of its orders “to work out more beneficial terms of compensation”.

Advocate General Sindh Raja Qureshi submitted the proposal before the division bench comprising Justice Sabihuddin Ahmed and Justice Ali Aslam Jaferi.

The government had formulated its proposal after a meeting with the counsel of the petitioners who have challenged the removal of settlements from the Lyari river bed for building the Expressway.

Counsel for the petitioners nevertheless expressed their reservation on the government proposals which the court said must be responded to on Friday.

Shaukat Shaikh Advocate representing some of the petitioners submitted that the respondents had questioned the genuineness of the lease and other documents filed by the petitioners, so the question was who would determine the claim of genuineness, to meet the condition contained in the proposal.

The bench observed that this could be taken up in the form of a civil suit. The court also directed the AG to provide the copy of the government proposal to the parties later in the day.

Their contention is that the city government’s compensation package of Rs50,000 and a plot of 80 sq yds was not acceptable. However, in the previous hearing the court had found most of the counsel “amiable to the idea of disposal of petitions upon a more beneficial compensation on reasonable terms”.

Raja Qureshi proposed that if the leases possessed by the petitioners were genuine, having been executed by the competent authority in accordance with law alongwith the approved building plan, then, compensation would be provided to the leaseholder in accordance with the provisions of the Land Acquisition Act.

If the payment made by the lessee was in excess to Rs50,000, then the total amount paid by the lessee would be refunded to the lessee alongwith 80 sq. yds. plot.

In a multi-storey building each floor would be taken to be an individual family unit, entitled to receive the same compensation of Rs50,000 and the plot. Compensation on multi-storey buildings shall be paid on floor basis and to physical occupants, Raja Qureshi submitted.