KARACHI: A Sindh High Court bench on Wednesday reserved its order on a petition challenging the closure of a section of Zaibunisa Street from Rex Center to Avari Towers Hotel in the Saddar area of Karachi.
Pasban Pakistan’s, in its petition, told the court that the road closure is causing inconvenience to the general public at large and is an infringement of the fundamental right of freedom of movement guaranteed by the constitution.
The concerned DIG traffic and other senior officials of traffic police were present in the court on the notice issued earlier.
The traffic police officials submitted that the notification for closure of the portion of the road was issued by the deputy commissioner of Karachi’s district South. They added that the traffic police had only implemented the notification.
The deputy commissioner office in its reply stated that the closure was issued on the recommendations of the traffic bureau. It added that the traffic police had complained that the flow of traffic on the section caused traffic congestion on the signal near Avari Towers Hotel.
The counsel for the petitioner on the other hand contended that the roads were constructed to facilitate masses while the closure of the road caused them inconvenience.
He contended that Supreme Court had taken notice of a sit-in at Faizabad interchange in Islamabad because it was causing inconvenience to the masses.
The bench headed by Chief Justice Ahmed Ali M Sheikh after hearing the petitioner’s counsel as well as state lawyer reserved its order on the petition.
Bailable warrants issued
Separately a SHC bench headed by Justice Irfan Saadat Khan issued bailable warrants of Sindh local government secretary on a petition challenging posting of lower grade officers in their own pay and scale (OPS) on posts of higher grade in violation of Supreme Court and Sindh High Court judgments.
On the last date of hearing the court had summoned the secretary of local government. However, when the petition was taken up on Wednesday, the secretary was not present in the courtroom.
The bench observed that it had ordered to remove OPS officers from the local government department which was not implemented.
The bench while issuing bailable warrants of arrest of secretary local government deferred further hearing in the matter till November 16.