CJP Gulzar Ahmed deplores Karachi bureaucracy’s inaction against encroachments

KARACHI: Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed deplored the inaction of Karachi administration officials who he observed wait for orders of the court to discharge their official duties.

During the hearing of various applications at the Karachi registry of the apex court, Justice Gulzar observed that most of the government officers appearing in the court either do not know their authority or willingly do not exercise it to prevent an illegal act or take action against an illegal act.

When the chief justice asked the administrator of district municipal corporation east that was he aware of Madina Masjid at Tariq Road had been built by encroaching land of Dilkasha Park, the administrator replied in affirmative.

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When the chief justice asked him what action was taken to recover the land, the administrator instead of explaining his action replied that he was ready to do whatever the court-ordered.

“Now the court will have to tell you about your functions and duties. Removing illegal constructions is your duty, why are you waiting for orders of the court to discharge your duties,” remarked Justice Gulzar.

Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin observed that for building a mosque one has to purchase land and waqf (dedicate) it for construction for the mosque. A mosque could not be built on state land or private land without purchasing it, he added.

The chief justice warned the bureaucracy that if the trend of building mosques on encroached land was not stopped, someday, somebody would declare offices of the bureaucrats’ a mosque by just placing minarets there.

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The CJ further observed inaction of the officers against encroachments has reduced Karachi to a slum and there appears no hope of reversing what had been done to Karachi.

“Officers get lucrative postings to just mint money and don’t care about what is happening with this city because they know that after retirement they would enjoy their lives abroad,” observed the chief justice.