KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) has directed District Municipal Corporation (DMC) East and Anti-Encroachment Cell to remove illegal occupied area by the administration of Imtiaz Super Market for their Bahadurabad branch within 10 days.
A division bench, headed by Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi and comprising Justice Kausar Sultana Hussain, was hearing the petition filed by Haroon Rasheed and Sulaiman Moti, the office-bearers of Golden Palm Flat Owner’s Association, who had moved the court against the super market for allegedly occupying a footpath and street for commercial purpose.
The petitioners represented by Advocate Nadeem Shaikh, submitted that the administration of Imtiaz Super Market had occupied footpath, street and other parts of the area illegally and unlawfully with the goods, articles and generators and made it very difficult for the residents to move.
During the hearing, the counsel representing the Sindh Building Control Authority confirmed the petitioner’s claim and informed the judges that the super store’s administration had encroached upon the land.
The SBCA informed the judges that a report had already been submitted to the DMC East and Anti-Encroachment Cell.
“The concerned authorities are directed that if the public streets are encroached upon, then remove it within 10 days and submit compliance report,” the court ruled.
Earlier, the petitioners said that the superstore had also occupied the street between the store and other buildings and was using the same for its business activities.
“Imtiaz Super Market had acquired many flats in adjacent area on ground and first floors with different names and is using the same for storing items and articles of the supermarket, despite the fact that all the apartments are only for the residential purpose,” the petitioners maintained.
They submitted that the superstore had illegally occupied and covered the compulsory open space with external walls, iron grills, metal sheets and other articles against the provision and subsequently blocked the easement rights of the other habitants of the building.
The court was requested to authorities concerned to remove all such encroachments and stop illegalities and irregularities forthwith.