The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a report submitted by the Sindh government regarding restoration of Karachi’s infrastructure to its original master plan and lambasted the city authorities for failing to remove illegal constructions in the city.

A two-judge bench headed by Justice Gulzar Ahmed rejected the provincial government’s report as it heard a petition against illegal constructions in the provincial capital.

Earlier on January 22, the Supreme Court had imposed a complete ban on conversion of residential and amenity plots into commercial spaces in Karachi and directed the concerned authorities to take steps to restore the city to its 40-year-old state.

During today’s hearing, Justice Gulzar told the Advocate General Sindh that the report was of no use and ordered the provincial government to call a cabinet meeting and submit a collective report on removal of encroachments within two weeks.

Karachi’s infrastructure has been destroyed, Justice Gulzar observed, adding that all the institutions shared responsibility for the state of the city.

On Tuesday, the top court had taken notice of and banned illegal conversion of residential and amenity plots into marriage halls, shopping centres and other commercial spaces. It had said all conversions allowed by the city authorities would be reviewed and all efforts would be made to ensure that land originally provided in the master plan of Karachi was restored to its 40-year-old state.