KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Tuesday issued notices to the mayor of Karachi and others on an application seeking contempt proceedings against them for not enforcing a court order issued against renting out nine parks in the city.

A divisional bench of the SHC headed by Justice Mohammad Iqbal Kalhoro directed the respondents to file replies till Oct 21.

The opposition leader in the City Council, Advocate Saifuddin has filed the application seeking contempt proceedings against the mayor, director general of parks of the KMC, director general of the Karachi Development Authority, and others.

The applicant argued that the contemnors have yet to comply with a judgement handed down by the bench last month about nine parks as commercial activities were still being carried out on the premises of these parks.

The applicant submitted that the SHC in its judgement had overturned the impugned resolution of the City Council regarding renting out parks and playgrounds under public-private partnerships and had ruled that conversion of amenity parks and playgrounds for commercial use and renting them out under the public-private partnerships was illegal and without any lawful authority.

He also said that the SHC had also set aside agreements inked between the KMC and private parties for renting out nine parks and playgrounds of the city, including Jheel Park, Hill Park, Umer Sharif Park, Bagh Ibne Qasim, KMC Sports Complex, Hosh Muhammad Shaheedi Park in KDA Scheme 5, Karachi and three parks/amenity plots located in Block 2 Clifton, and ruled that the same owned by the Karachi Development Authority or the ministry of housing and the KMC has no right to administer such parks and playgrounds.

The opposition leader in the City Council further submitted that the SHC’s order also said that the KMC did not have the right to regulate amenity plots which were designated as parks or playgrounds under the Sindh Local Government Act, 2013 and it also lacked jurisdiction under the Karachi Development Authority Order.

The SHC had passed the judgement in question on a petition filed by Mr Saifuddin, 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, in July 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.

Published in Dawn, October 8th, 2025