Sindh Minister for Local Bodies Saeed Ghani said that the provincial government had decided to halt the anti-encroachment operation against Karachi marriage halls.
Saeed Ghani said that the Sindh government would file a review petition in the apex court against the order to demolish marriage halls in Karachi. He said that the government would extend deadline for razing the halls and would try to find out any other solution.
The minister said that the provincial government formed and committee on the marriage halls and contacted the owners of the marriage halls to solve the issue. However, all the marriage halls constructed on amenity plots would be demolished, said Saeed Ghani.
Earlier in the day, registering a protest over a notice issued by the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA), marriage hall owners had decided to shutdown marriage halls from Jan 27 onwards for an indefinite period of time.
It is pertinent to note that the SBCA notice to marriage hall owners emphasised on halting commercial activities at marriage halls.
Upon receiving the aforementioned notice, majority of the marriage hall owners proceeded towards the SBCA office and blocked the Karachi University road which consequently caused a major traffic jam.
On Jan 24, the SC had ordered to demolish all marriage halls situated along three major arteries of the city falling within the remits of Cantonment Board.
The apex court ordered that all wedding halls situated along Karsaz, Shahrah-e-Faisal and Rashid Minhas Road be demolished. It also directed authorities to raze cinemas, commercial plazas and markets in cantonment areas.
Hearing the case, the court summoned heads of Airport Security Force (ASF), Karachi Port Trust (KPT), Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and other relevant authorities. The top court also sought report from heads of the aforesaid institutions within two weeks.
