KARACHI: Karachi Circular Railway should be completed in the next nine months, the Supreme Court ruled on Thursday.
At Karachi Registry, the bench of SC headed by the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Gulzar Ahmed, issued these orders while hearing the case related to revival of KCR.
Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed asked what hurdles authorities were facing now that encroachments had been removed from the track when commissioner of Karachi informed that the KCR track had been cleared from encroachments.
“Then what is hampering the complete revival of KCR when encroachments have been removed?” the Chief Justice inquired.
The railway secretary said that one of the hurdles was the Green Line bus track near Nazimabad. There was a nullah on the track in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Block 4.
Sindh secretary of transport submitted that the Sindh government had provided Rs25 million to the FWO for a pre-feasibility study for overhead bridges and underpasses on the track of the KCR.
He stated that a meeting was held between the FWO and the Sindh government, and the provincial government approved the overhead bridges and underpasses on the track.
Justice Ijazul Ahsan remarked that they should at least complete the work they took Rs25 million funds for the project and asked the timeframe for completion of the work.
The FWO representative told the court that work would be completed in nine months.
The court, while ordering completion of work in the given timeframe, sought progress report in the next hearing.
The track is operational from City Station to Pipri, the secretary told the court.
The Karachi Circular Railway service was partially resumed on November 16, 2020. Four trains are being run up and down between Orangi and Pipri.
Meanwhile, the SC bench ordered demolition of a residential building, Nasla Tower, on Shahrah-e-Quaideen in Karachi when hearing the case against encroachment in the city.
At the outset of the hearing, the Chief Justice asked the Karachi commissioner about the residential project.
The building has not been constructed on any nullah as per Sindh Building Control Authority, the commissioner replied.
The advocate-general said that one side of the building was illegal and that would be demolished.
Holding the SBCA responsible for all illegal constructions in Karachi, Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed remarked there is no vacant land in PECHS. Where did this land come from?
The SBCA DG said that this land was spotted after re-allotment of the road.
To this, the Chief Justice remarked: “So does this mean that you would sell this land? What have you been doing? You will even allot Supreme Court building and CM House if you could.”
The court said we are canceling the lease of the plot and directed the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) to demolish Nasla Tower.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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