KARACHI, Jan 10: A division bench of the High Court of Sindh issued notices on Friday to deputy attorney-general, the secretary local government, Sindh, and the administrator of Defence Housing Authority in a petition challenging the closure of a road.

The bench consisted of Justice Mohammed Roshan Essani and Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali.

Ghulam Hussain, a resident of Chanesar Goth, next to the DHA, filed the petition. He maintained that the DHA administrator and the DHA director administration ordered the closure of the road. The road connected Chanesar Goth, a thickly-populated area, with other roads besides people living in other adjoining areas used this as a short cut to reach their houses. The road also led to a graveyard and its closure had effected even burials, the petitioner maintained.

He maintained that he contacted the area Nazim and also the Sindh governor, but no action was taken. Even newspapers highlighted the problem faced by thousands of people due to closure of the road, but the authorities had remained unmoved.

He contended that in accordance with the SLGO roads were property of the Sindh government, so the action by the respondent officers of the DHA was illegal.

He prayed to the court to direct the DHA to open the road and remove all barricades obstructing free passage of people.

After initial hearing, the court issued notices to DAG and the respondents for Jan 21.

The same bench also issued notice to the City District Government Karachi on a petition filed by Shell Pakistan and Shell Safari Service Station, Gulshan-i-Iqbal.

The petitioners alleged that they bought a plot measuring 959 square yards in block 7 of Gulshan-i-Iqbal and were raising construction after completing all formalities and obtaining NOCs from all the departments concerned. They maintained that suddenly officials of the district officer (revenue) came to the site and threatened to demolish the construction raised so far.

The petitioner prayed to the court to issue an interim injunction restraining officials of the city government from acting above the law.

After hearing K. M. Nadeem, advocate, counsel for the petitioner, the court issued notice to the city government for Jan 22.

The same bench also issued notice to DAG and the federal interior secretary on a petition filed by Aneesa Farooqui and Sharmila Farooqui challenging inclusion of their names in the exit control list.—APP