ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has directed the Sindh government to remove encroachments along the route of the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR), and rehabilitate the people, who will be displaced from these sites.
A three-member judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed heard the suo moto related to operation of the KCR in the economic hub of the country.
The bench directed the Secretary Railways to submit the progress report on the next date of the hearing.
The secretary railways, the additional attorney general, and the officials of the Sindh government informed about the work regarding the construction of underpasses and overhead bridges by the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO).
They told that considerable progress had been made.
It was informed that the FWO had proposed more overhead bridges and underpasses on the route of the KCR, in order to ensure smooth running of the KCR.
The secretary railways informed that there was no impediment from the railways and the Sindh government.
The official of the Sindh government said that work for starting operation of the KCR was going on day and night and the KCR would be operational within the timeline given by the Supreme Court.
About encroachments, the bench was informed that the encroachments on both sides of the tracks of the KCR had been removed.
The secretary said there were encroachments on some points, which would be removed as well.
The chief justice directed the Sindh government to cooperate with the railways in removing the encroachments.
The case was adjourned for one month.
The apex court in February this year had ordered to make the KCR functional in six months by removing encroachments on the land of the Pakistan Railways.
The revived KCR operation is intended to become an inter-regional public transit system in Karachi, with an aim to connect the city centre with several industrial and commercial districts within the city, and the outlying suburbs.
The revival efforts of the KCR have been proposed several times, since becoming defunct, though remained unfulfilled, due to lack of financial and political backing.
In May 2017, the federal government approved a Rs27.9 billion (US$170 million) restoration package for the KCR, however, delays and disputes with the Sindh provincial government, ultimately led to the cancellation of the funding.
According to the reports, in August 2020, the federal government approved a Rs10.5 billion rehabilitation package for the KCR restoration.
The funding is slated to cover only Phase-I and Phase-II of the KCR's restoration project, similar to the restoration of the Karachi-Peshawar Railway Line.
The KCR began during President Ayub Khan's tenure, who in 1962 suggested the use of trains as a means for short travel in Karachi.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020
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