SHC orders Evacuee Trust Property Board to unseal Cotton Exchange building

In a significant move, the Sindh High Court has directed the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) to unseal the historic Karachi Cotton Exchange building. The court expressed outrage at the ETPB officials for violating an earlier order regarding the property, which was sealed during a joint raid by the ETPB and Federal Investigation Agency in December. The court has also ordered the alleged offenders to file a compliance report at the next hearing after unsealing the building.

The Karachi Cotton Association (KCA) and other petitioners have filed applications for contempt proceedings against the ETPB's chairman Qamar-uz-Zaman, administrator/zonal head Asif Khan, and deputy administrator Shahid Ali for their failure to comply with the Sindh High Court's judgement. They argue that the ownership dispute of the building has been decided by the ETPB, yet the court has not been informed of this decision.

At a recent hearing, the ETPB's Karachi administrator presented before the court said that its chairman had decided the ownership dispute on July 30, declaring the building as federal evacuee trust property. However, the court held the ETPB officials in contempt for disregarding its order, and adjourned the hearing till September 9, instructing them to unseal the property and submit a compliance report at the next hearing.