HYDERABAD - The Sindh High Court (SHC) Hyderabad Circuit Bench has ordered the district administration, Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (HMC) and Qasimabad Municipal Committee (QMC) to remove all encroachments from Hyderabad in around 1 month. 

At a hearing of a petition concerning encroachment by Waqar Town housing scheme on a 60-feet government road in Qasimabad, the bench was informed that both the HMC and QMC had issued licenses to the business to occupy certain footpaths, roads and public places for their trade. 

The Deputy Commissioner (DC) Fuad Ghaffar Soomro apprised the court that whenever they undertook anti-encroachment operation to clear the footpaths and roads the traders showed them the HMC and QMC issued licenses. 

The administrators of HMC and QMC also conceded about having issued the licenses. 

However, the DC and the administrators submitted undertakings that all the existing encroachment would be cleared within 30 days. 

The bench directed the officials to remove all encroachments including those which possess the municipal licenses before the next date of hearing scheduled for March 2. “All such purported licenses are void and as such the purported licenses don’t have any right, title and interest in respect of the portions of footpaths, roads and public places,” the court ordered. 

The bench directed the DIG and SSP Hyderabad to provide assistance and protection to the anti-encroachment exercises. 

The DC informed the bench that in compliance with its January 27 order a task force had been constituted for inspection and survey of roads and streets and that it would be headed by the assistant commissioners. 

He added that as per the order the task force would inspect and survey all roads and streets after every 15 days and the identified encroachments would be removed within 24 hours. 

The SHC directed the DC to submit the performance report of the task force at the next date of hearing. 

The SHC while adjourning the hearing to March 2 directed the DC, SSP Hyderabad Abdul Salam Shaikh and the administrators to be in attendance at the next hearing.