Bureau Report
KARACHI: Supreme Court (SC) on Monday has stopped the authorities from selling, transferring and leasing the lands owned by railways department. During the hearing of circular railways case at SC’s Karachi registry, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed and Justice Ijaz-ul-Ahsan asked whether governor house is planning to bring any ordinance regarding lands.
We will strike down if such ordinance comes, CJP reprimanded.
The apex court further warned of not tolerating the illegal allotment of railways lands. No one is allowed to even sell an inch of railways property, the CJP clarified.Meanwhile, the Supreme Court ordered the local administration in Karachi to demolish the Pavilion End Club and end all commercial activities on an amusement park in Gulshan-i-Iqbal.
A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed observed that the Aladin Park had been converted into Pavilion End Club and membership was being offered against fees along with other commercial activities.
It directed the Karachi administrator to immediately demolish the club and end other commercial activities on the park’s premises and file a compliance report within two days.
The apex court further asked the administrator to develop the premises along with an adjacent plot, on which illegal construction was recently removed, into a park or green belt.
Earlier, the apex court had ordered the demolition of the under-construction residential-cum-commercial multistorey Royal Park building adjacent to Aladin Park and had declared the lease of a two-acre plot, located on Rashid Minhas Road, illegal, while directing the authorities concerned to demolish the under-construction building.
CJP slammed the railways ministry and secretary of Pakistan Railways over frequent accidents and poor functioning of railways and urged the prime minister to take steps to improve the railways and also look into the recent irresponsible statement of the railways minister, who said he was willing to resign if it would cover the losses and casualties in the Ghotki train accident.
