KARACHI: During Thursday’s hearing in the suo motu case on Karachi’s law and order situation, the Supreme Court issued show-cause notices for contempt of court to Sindh Chief Secretary Raja Mohammad Abbas, Director Master Plan Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), a senior member board of revenue and director survey, DawnNews reported.

A five-member larger bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Justice Anwer Zaheer Jamali, and including Justice Khilji Arif Hussain, Justice Sarmad Jalal Osmany, Justice Amir Hani Muslim and Justice Gulzar Ahmed hearing the case today.

The notices to the provincial chief secretary, KMC's director master plan and director survey were issued for not conducting land survey in spite of an order of the Sindh High Court.

The senior board of revenue member was issued the notice after the official took a sick leave. The bench has directed him to appear before it for the upcoming hearing.

The bench moreover directed Advocate-General Sindh Abdul Fateh Malik to submit to it a list of the board of revenue members.

Moreover, Justice Jamali remarked that land grabbing was prevalent in the city, adding that, the revenue department had no record of it.

Officials from the KMC and the revenue department submitted their records before the bench.

Justice Ahmed said that the records were inadequate.

Justice Jamali inquired of revenue department officials as to whether they checked the records of properties.

Responding to which, revenue officials said all records were being computerised and the department checked them in an efficient manner.

Moreover, Justice Ahmed said computerised registration was being carried out using bogus names.

Inspector General (IG) Sindh Police Mushtaq Shah said 254 policemen who took part in the operations of 1992 and 1996 had been killed.

He further said that there was a decline in the incidents of kidnapping for ransom.

Also during the hearing, the Election Commission submitted its report before the bench stating that until the census was conducted, boundaries of administrative units could not be altered.

The report stated that altering the boundaries prior to conducting census would be unconstitutional as population census was a constitutional requirement for changing geographical limits of a constituency.

The bench subsequently adjourned the hearing to Oct 31.

Earlier on Wednesday, the bench had ordered the cancellation of all non-computerised arms licenses within six months.

Justice Jamali had observed that the authorities concerned should give a deadline through newspaper advertisements for cancellation of licenses. “This is the only way out. If a proper procedure is adopted in this regard, no one will challenge the cancellation of arms licenses,” he added.

The bench directed the advocate general to ensure that a policy was devised for computerisation of all arms licenses.

On Tuesday, the bench had rejected the Sindh government’s progress report on implementation of the apex court’s order in the suo motu case on Karachi killings.

The bench had observed that the city’s security situation would have been much better and the court would not have had to rehear the case if its order had been implemented in letter and spirit.

The bench had also expressed its displeasure over the delayed submission of the report.

Last year, the Supreme Court had given its detailed order in the case after the chief justice had taken suo motu action on the security situation in the city.