Rejects de-sealing request as dispute over Lot-II escalates between contractor, authorities
KARACHI:
The constitutional bench of the Sindh High Court has rejected a verbal request to immediately de-seal the Red Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project site directing a court official to inspect the site and submit a report.
During the hearing of a petition against the sealing of Red Line Project Lot-II, the court issued notices to TransKarachi, the Sindh government, the Mukhtiarkar, police, and the deputy commissioner east, seeking their responses.
The petitioner’s counsel, Barrister Salahuddin Ahmed, argued that the contract for Red Line Lot-II had been awarded to a Pakistani-Chinese joint venture. He stated that TransKarachi provided the project design after two and a half years and handed over the site to the contractor after 30 months.
He further submitted that a board, formed to resolve the dispute, had held the government responsible for delays. However, the Mukhtiarkar, police, and district administration allegedly misused their authority by sealing the office and project site.
The counsel told the court that machinery worth billions of rupees remains at the site and is at risk, adding that the authorities had no legal mandate to seal the premises. He requested the court to order immediate de-sealing. The court declined the request and appointed a nazir (court official) to visit the site, prepare an inventory of the machinery present, and submit a report. The nazir’s fee was fixed at Rs200,000, to be paid by the petitioner. The hearing has been adjourned until April 29.
