Karachi: The Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan Karachi Registry on Tuesday (September 21) directed the provincial government to pay the affectees of the Orangi and Gujjar Nullah anti-encroachment drive, news sources reported. The Supreme Court urged the involved authorities to take immediate action to resolve the matter and minimise inconvenience.
Reportedly, the apex court directed the Sindh government to expedite the process of allocating alternate plots to the 6,000 people affected by the operation as soon as possible. The Sindh government informed the supreme judicial body that the government has already purchased land for the purpose and that building of 6,500 houses would begin shortly when the necessary finances are secured.
On the question of the illegal allotments of the plots to the people along the storm drains, Sindh Advocate General Salman Talibuddin said it was a 40-year-old issue. Moreover, the bench also lifted the stay order on an anti-encroachment effort along city storm drains, ordering officials to conduct the work without delay and before the monsoon season. The anti-encroachment operation along with Gujjar and Orangi Nullah started in 2020 following a severe urban flood that claimed many lives and properties due to the choking of the waterways. The Sindh government started the operation, and according to the reports submitted by the authorities to the court, 98% of the task has been completed.
Nauman Ahmad is an imaginative Pisces whose love for literature and nature is unparalleled. When he's not reading or hiking, he's sleeping and eating, which gives him plenty of energy for his next adventure.
