SHC orders site inspection in Red Line BRT sealing case

KARACHI: The constitutional bench of the Sindh High Court has turned down a verbal plea seeking the immediate de-sealing of the Red Line Bus Rapid Transit project site and instead ordered a court official to inspect the location and submit a report.

The direction came during proceedings on a petition challenging the sealing of Red Line Project Lot-II. The court also issued notices to TransKarachi, the Sindh government, the Mukhtiarkar, police and the deputy commissioner east, calling for their replies in the matter.

During the hearing, the petitioner’s counsel, Barrister Salahuddin Ahmed, told the court that the contract for Red Line Lot-II had been awarded to a Pakistani-Chinese joint venture. He said TransKarachi supplied the project design after two and a half years and handed over the site to the contractor after 30 months.

According to the counsel, a board constituted to resolve the dispute had held the government responsible for the delays. He further argued that the Mukhtiarkar, police and district administration had misused their powers by sealing the office and the project site.

Ahmed told the bench that machinery worth billions of rupees was lying at the site and faced risk. He maintained that the authorities had no legal authority to seal the premises and requested the court to order that the site be opened immediately.

Court appoints nazir

The bench, however, did not accept the request for immediate relief. Instead, it appointed a nazir, a court official, to visit the site, prepare an inventory of the machinery present there and place a report before the court.

The court fixed the nazir’s fee at Rs200,000 and directed that the amount be paid by the petitioner.

The case concerns objections raised against the sealing of Red Line Project Lot-II, with the petitioner contesting the action taken by local administrative and law enforcement authorities. The court’s latest order means the matter will proceed after the site inspection report is submitted.

The hearing was adjourned until April 29.