Supreme Court (SC) on Friday issued notices to Mayor Karachi, Advocate General Sindh, Director General Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) and others in a petition pertaining to commercial activities in residential areas in Clifton area of metropolis.
A two-member bench of SC comprised of Justice Gulzar Ahmed and Justice Mazhar Alam took up the petition, filed by Public Interest of Law Association. Arshad Mohammad Tayyab Ali Advocate on behalf of association submitted before the court that commercial activities in residential areas are banned under the orders of apex court.
Various schools, restaurants and others commercial outlets have been made respondents in the petition. Court issuing the notice to Mayor Karachi, DG SBCA, Advocate General Sindh and others ordered them to submit replies in the next hearing. Meanwhile, Attorney General Mansoor Ali Khan told the bench that a multi storey building on a plot in cantonment area adjacent to 'Do Talwar' area of Clifton has been scrapped after apex court had put a ban on high-rise buildings in the city.
Attorney General in a report furnished in the court stated that a multi story building was originally planned on the plot at the cantonment land at 'Do Talwar' area of the city. However, the project has been scrapped, Attorney General said, at which bench disposed of the petition, filed against commercial use of the land.
Petitioner submitted before the court that the land in cantonment area is specified for the military purposes, which can't be used for the commercial purposes. Meanwhile, Sc bench approved the bail plea of accused in smuggling of 250 kgs of opium. Court ordered the accused to submit surety bond worth Rs 0.5 million for securing the bail.
Shaukat Hayyat Advocate, counsel for accused told the court that his client was arrested five years back for allegedly smuggling the opium. However the trial of his client couldn't be held so far. SC approved the bail of the accused after Director General Narcotics Control submitted the report in the bench after he was ordered to do so in a previous hearing of the bail petition.