SC asks KPT to demolish illegal constructions

Supreme Court (SC) on Friday ordered Karachi Port Trust (KPT) to demolish the illegal constructions in its jurisdiction, especially in its housing societies.

At Karachi Registry, a three-member bench of SC headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Gulzar Ahmed and comprising Justice Faisal Arab and Justice Sajjad Ali Shah ruled that the land allotted for port activities can't be used for any other purposes.

"If the land can't be used for port-related activities then it should be returned to the Sindh Government," the court remarked and asked how can KPT lease out such land, whose lease has not been even given to KPT?

The Chief Justice observed that the land was allotted for port activities but KPT is allotting this land to itself and stated that the court can't allow this to happen as it is "conflict of interests".

The court observed that every government department would start distributing the land to its employees if the practice was allowed.

Justice Faisal Arab in his remarks said that KPT is a trust and not trustee. The court stated that federal government can't lease out the land of provincial government and added that housing societies can't be established on this land.

The court ordered KPT to utilize the land allotted to it only for the port activities,

Meanwhile, SC bench also ordered removal of huts from the land adjacent to Kala Pul area of the city and directed for developing a park on this site in three months.

The court also ordered for removal of car parking of a hospital near Kala Pul and ruled that no one would be allowed to use a road for parking cars.