KARACHI  -  The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday ordered the constitution of a joint team consisting of federal, provincial and city governments’ officials for the removal of encroachments in the metropolis.

At its Karachi Registry, a larger bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Mian Sasib Nisar and consisting of Justice Mushir Alam and Justice Muneeb Akhtar heard the case about encroachments and occupation of state land in Karachi.

The bench also summoned Karachi mayor, representatives of cantonment areas, Karachi Development Authority and other departments as well as Sindh IG and DG Rangers on Saturday at the Karachi Registry.

The CJP remarked that all what makes a city beautiful had vanished from Karachi, and stated that the country was being destroyed for money and bribe. The court ordered that Saddar area be cleaned from encroachments to make the city a model.

Justice Mushir Alam said that action against encroachments start from Saddar Area of the city and asked Mayor Wasim Akhtar to tell the court how the action be initiated.

Wasim told the court that he was powerless to take such an action, which prompted the court to issue order for constitution of a joint team to take action against encroachments and summoned the heads of civic bodies to appear in the court to hammer out the mandate for the team.

During the hearing, the CJP also indulged in a dialogue with the Karachi mayor on Pakistan quarters issue which took an ugly turn a couple of days ago when police resorted to baton charge during an eviction operation on the court orders.

“Mayor, why was scene created. For God sake, do you want to fuel ethnic violence in Karachi,”' the CJP asked when he made it clear the eviction process was not against any ethnic group. The CJP addressing the mayor stated that top leaders of his party arrived at Pakistan Quarters. “What was it,” he said and believed that this issue could have been resolved if the mayor approached the court.

The CJP rejected the notion that people would become homeless if they are evicted and remarked. Justice Nisar also showed dissatisfaction over cleaning of nullahs and asked whether these were cleaned completely as he was assured during his earlier visit to the area.

Wasim told the court that he had removed the encroachments from parks and even demolished several marriage halls built illegally. “Saddar Area is out of my jurisdiction,” he said when Justice Mushir Alam pointed out that encroachments are rampant in Saddar area of the city.

The CJP said that when court wanted to remove the encroachments, the area people were used as human shield, an obvious reference to Pakistan Quarters. He added the court wanted to resolve the encroachment issue.

Later, IG and Chief Secretary Sindh met the CJP in the chamber and informed him that the report about encroachments in the city would be submitted today.

The federal government has declared families living in several federal housing colonies as illegal occupants. The colonies include Pakistan Quarters, FC Area, Martin Quarters, Clayton Quarters and others. Many households living in these localities have been there for decades and they also claim to be legal owners of their houses. Residents of Pakistan Quarters claim that the quarters were not the property of the federal government. Instead, the housing units were constructed on an evacuated property. According to the residents, the federal government has not spent a single penny since 1980 for the maintenance of the quarters and they have themselves maintained the houses.

Politicians, both from the government and opposition, sprang into raising voice for the people after violent clashes between police and the residents were reported. A couple of days ago, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah called upon the federal government to make an appropriate alternative arrangement before forcing the residents to vacate Pakistan Quarters.

Murad said in the light of Supreme Court orders under the supervision of their inspection, the operation was launched in the Pakistan Quarters.

“When I saw it [operation] was turning violent, I intervened and directed the additional IG to withdrawn the police immediately,” he said, adding that had he not intervened in, law and order situation would have been created.

The CM said that before forcing them to vacate their quarters the federal government should have made alternate arrangements for them.  “Karachi is a very sensitive city and you have to be careful while handling such a situation,” he said.  Replying to a question, the chief minister said that he had already issued instructions to the chief secretary to handover the record whatever the JIT was asking for.  To a question, the chief minister said that he was called by Supreme Court during his last term and he appeared happily and would also appear again, if he is called.