SUKKUR: The Sindh High Court’s (SHC) Sukkur constitutional bench has issued a written order summoning the director of the National Highway Authority (NHA), Sukkur Deputy Commissioner and SSP, and Traffic SP to appear on Sept 18 regarding the City Point Road.

The bench, consisting of Justice Zulfiqar Ali Sangi and Justice Riazat Ali Sahar, issued the Sept 10 order concerning the illegal occupation of U-turns at City Point in Sukkur.

The court was informed that its May 30, 2025 order has not been implemented, Justice Sangi said and added that neither illegal encroachments at City Point has been removed, nor an alternative service road has been provided for the children’s hospital, as result frequent accidents occur in the area.

The double bench remarked that the illegal use of the road by couches/ buses owners has led to traffic jams and an increase in accidents. It is also alleged that illegal transport operators are running their businesses in collusion with traffic police and Regional Transport Authority officials.

Court informed its May 30, 2025 order not implemented

The court expressed strong displeasure over the statement presented by the Sukkur Traffic SP and directed him to explain his responsibilities at the next hearing.

The court made it clear that if now any accident occurs due to the lack of a service road or negligence of the traffic police, the traffic police and NHA officials will be held responsible and an FIR will be registered against them.

The court also directed the Sukkur SSP to investigate the conduct of the traffic police personnel on duty at City Point and take action against them according to the law.

The court further ordered the Director of NHA Sukkur, Secretary RTA, Deputy Commissioner, SSP and SP Traffic Sukkur to appear at the next hearing with a compliance report.

The double bench adjourned the hearing till Sept 18, 2025.

Encroachments case

The Sindh High Court Sukkur’s constitutional bench, consisting of Justice Zulfiqar Ali Sangi and Justice Riazat Ali Sahar, expressed anger on Wednesday at the director of the Workers’ Welfare Board (WWB).

It was hearing a petition filed to clear illegal encroachments from flats in the Sukkur Labour Colony.

Present in the court were the assistant commissioner, representing the deputy commissioner, and WWB Director Zahid Hakro, petitioner’s lawyer assistant advocate Zulfiqar Ali Naich and other concerned officials.

Justice Zulfiqar Ali Sangi questioned Mr Hakro: “You were removed due to corruption from director post, how are you standing here?”

Mr Hakro informed the honorable court that there were two directors, one for Karachi and other for upper Sindh, so he “holds two posts now”.

He added that he was unaware of his being removed from the post of director welfare as he did not receive any notification about it.

The assistant commissioner of Sukkur’s new taluka, Wasim Mahar, informed the court that his staff was engaged in emergency duty on embankments during rains and requested to the honorable court for more time to clear the encroachments from the flats.

The petitioner’s lawyer claimed that the Workers’ Welfare Hospital lacks doctors and proper treatment facilities.

The lawyer also requested the court to order restoration of electricity and gas supply to the allottee labourers.

The court sought a progress report and adjourned the next hearing till Sept 15.

Tenders stayed

The Sindh High Court Sukkur bench on Wednesday issued a stay order on a petition filed against tenders for various Public Health Engineering projects, and sought a response by Sept 18.

The double bench, comprising Justice Zulfiqar Ali Sangi and Justice Riazat Ali Sahar, heard the case.

The petition was filed by Bahadur Ali Sheikh through his lawyers Qurban Malano and Syed Israr Shah against the executive engineer of the Sukkur public health engineering department.

The petitioner alleged that tenders were issued in August, and a contract was awarded to a preferred contractor in violation of the Sindh Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (SPPRA) rules.

The petitioner contended that 30 schemes in different parts of Sukkur district were tendered in a manner that violated the SPPRA rules.

The court accepted the petition for a hearing and issued a notice to the executive engineer, seeking a response by Sept 18.

Published in Dawn, September 12th, 2025