Supreme Court (SC) rejected Sindh government’s appeal to reassign Karachi drains cleaning operations to provincial administration from National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
The three-member SC bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Gulzar Ahmed heard the case at SC Karachi Registry regarding illegal encroachments on drains in the metropolis.
During the hearing, Sindh government submitted its progress report on drainage cleaning operations in Karachi claiming to complete 50 percent and 20 per cent work at Gujjar and CMB drains respectively.
However, the top court rejected Sindh’s government appeal to reassign drainage cleaning operations to provincial administration from NDMA.
“If the Sindh government was cleaning the drains then why did the NDMA have to step in?” remarked CJP Gulzar Ahmed.
Commissioner Karachi Iftikhar Shallwani also attended the hearing and apprised the court of actions against illegal encroachments in the city.
The bench reprimanded Advocate General Sindh on showing pictures showing clean drains and claiming that the garbage issue has been successfully addressed and resolved in the entire city.
“Karachi’s population is more than 30 million. By cleaning two-three nullahs, you say Karachi’s problem has resolved,” said Justice Gulzar Ahmed.
It is to be noted that SC on Wednesday, had directed NDMA to o clean Karachi drains and remove all illegal encroachments on drainage system and infrastructure across the city.
