Notices issued on plea against construction on Nehr-i-Khayyam

Karachi: The Sindh High Court issued notices to the chief secretary, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, and other parties in a petition challenging construction and development activities at Nehr-i-Khayyam in Clifton. The two-judge constitutional bench, led by Justice Riazat Ali Sahar, also flagged the provincial law officer for November 19 and requested respondents to submit comprehensive comments at the next hearing.

The petition was filed by City Council Leader of Opposition Advocate Saifuddin and three others, but counsel argued it differed from an earlier identical petition as the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency was absent as a respondent. The court sought comments from the chief secretary, KMC, Sepa, and others by November 19. The lawyers contended that the Sindh Environmental Protection Act, 2014, provisions were not followed during the construction, making it illegal and unlawful.

The bench issued notices to the respondents and the advocate general, directing them to file detailed comments at the next hearing. Petitioners argued that the construction and development were adversely affecting the natural waterway, rainwater drainage system, and commercial utilization of the land, potentially endangering public safety.

They warned against reducing the waterway's width, disregarding the approved planning framework, or permitting development inconsistent with its designated purpose. The petitioners requested the court to declare the construction illegal if it continued without lawful authority, technical assessment, and environmental compliance, and to halt all activities and remove structures within Nehr-i-Khayyam's boundaries to preserve it as a storm-water drainage channel.