The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday sought comments from the Ministry of Ports and Shipping, Environment and Tourism departments and the Sindh government on a petition against construction of a deep sea container port project. The petitioner, Abdul Jabbar, moved the court, submitting that the deep sea container port was being built on the front of residential area in Clifton which will block public access to the Clifton beach.
He said people of the Karachi city would be deprived of recreational place if the Clifton beach, accessible to the general public, was blocked on account of the project. The petitioner said the construction of the port would involve the breaking of rocks in front of blocks 1 and 2 of Clifton, which can help mitigating earthquakes. Therefore, he said, the lives of people living in the city would be put at risk if the rocks were removed. The court was requested to order the government to shift the site of the port to eastern waters, as recommended by in the feasibility report for the project.
The Karachi Port Trust (KPT) in response to the court notice filed its comments, stating that the petitioner has no locus standi to institute the litigation as he was not aggrieved by the project in any manner. It stated that with construction of the deep sea container port fundamental right of the citizens would not be violated as they had access to the beach.
The KPT said the project would help boost country's economy and create job opportunities for the people. It said the deep sea container port would be built and developed according to international standards and it will be equipped with modern technologies to facilitate ships, vessels of all types to dock and move cargo to and from land. A division bench headed by Chief Justice Maqbool Baqar adjourned the matter when the counsel for the petitioner asked the court to allow some time to file objections to the reply of KPT. The court seek comments from official respondents, who have not filed their comments yet.