KARACHI, Nov 21: The Sindh High Court on Wednesday put off the hearing of a contempt of court application against Interior Minister Rahman Malik, Interior Secretary Sadiq Akbar Khawaja and National Database Registration Authority chairman Mohammed Tariq Malik for not complying with the court order regarding issuance of plastic card arm licences.
A division bench headed by Chief Justice Mushir Alam was seized with the hearing of the contempt of court application filed by Advocate Syed Mohammad Yahya on behalf of petitioners Mohammed Ayub and others, whose petition against the replacement of all arms licences with computerised plastic cards was earlier allowed by the SHC.
While allowing his petition, the court had held that the federal or any provincial government could not issue arms licences in violation of any of the provisions contained in the Pakistan Arms Ordinance and Arms Rules, 1924. The court also declared the plastic card licence scheme illegal and without lawful authority.
On Wednesday, Advocate Yahya submitted in court that the federal authorities were still issuing card arms licences in clear defiance of the court’s earlier order.
He also placed on record the photocopies of two recently issued card arm licences.
The bench put off the hearing after the counsel for Nadra, Advocate Zulfiqar Solangi, sought time for obtaining instructions from the alleged contemnors.
The court ordered the office to fix the next hearing of the contempt of court application after two weeks.
No commercial activity on residential plots
The Sindh High Court has directed the city district government Karachi, the director Lines Area Re-Development Project and Sindh Building Control Authority to ensure that absolutely no commercial activity was allowed on residential plots within their jurisdiction, adds PPI.
A division bench headed by Justice Maqbol Baqar passed this order on a petition seeking court directives against use of residential plots for commercial purposes in Gulshan-i-Zahoor.
Petitioner Agha Syed Attaullah impleaded CDGK, the SBCA chief controller and some builders as respondents.
He submitted that the residential plots nos. R-76 to R-86 and R-66 of Sector 8-A Gulshan-i-Zahoor were being used for the commercials purpose with active connivance of the respondents.
He submitted that unlawful conversion of said residential plots for the commercial purpose frustrated the residential scheme and on the other hand commercial activities in the congested residential locality had created public nuisance, unlawful obstruction and physical discomfort.
He prayed to the court to direct the respondents to fix responsibility on those who were held responsible for having connived and thus provided shelter to the unlawful commercial activities on the residential plots.
He prayed to court to direct respondents to proceed according to law and forfeit the lease of those residential plots.
The bench ordered: “We would therefore dispose of this petition directing the official respondents to ensure that absolutely no commercial activity is allowed in respect of the subject properties and also in respect of other properties within their jurisdiction including that of the petitioner without any discrimination at all. In case anyone indulges in the misuse of property appropriate action in accordance with law be initiated against such person. The concerned official respondents shall submit report of compliance of the order to MIT-II of this court in eight weeks from today”.