KARACHI: The Supreme Court on Friday ordered Karachi commissioner to remove all marriage halls built on amenity plots/open areas and also in residential premises. The Supreme Court bench headed by the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP), Justice Gulzar Ahmed, ordered that removal of marriage halls should be done irrespective of any jurisdiction where they may be situated.
According to a written order of the court, the commissioner of Karachi stated that 158 illegally constructed marriage halls have been demolished and operation for demolition of more illegally constructed marriage halls is still continuing.
Meanwhile, the court reserved the decision in a petition related to non-demolition of marriage halls from Korangi Crossing to Nasir Jump. The court reserved the judgment after hearing the arguments from both sides. The counsel for the petitioner, Anwar Mansoor Khan, submitted that the whole road has been declared commercial under the law.
Justice Ijaz-ul-Hassan remarked, “When an area is declared as residential area, its status would remain residential for 150 years.”
He observed that needs and requirements of the area would change when a 30-storeyed building would be raised on a plot, specified for a five-room residential unit. He said that whole Karachi has been changed through this way. The petitioner submitted that Abdullah Haroon Road has also been made commercial through this way. The court reserved the judgment to be announced later.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021