KARACHI: The Supreme Court issued a directive on Thursday, instructing the removal of barriers outside both government and private buildings, including the Rangers headquarters, within a three-day timeframe, with a subsequent report to be submitted.
Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa issued the order during a hearing concerning encroachments in Karachi at the apex court's registry.
The CJP emphasized that no entity has the authority to impede the free movement of individuals. He deemed the act of obstructing roads and creating hindrances as unlawful, attributing such actions to both federal and provincial governments.
Expressing concern over the challenges faced by pedestrians navigating around these structures, the chief justice proposed that the expenses incurred in clearing the encroachments should be billed to senior officers, with the funds collected from their personal accounts.
CJP Isa underscored the importance of clearing roads under the jurisdiction of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) from encroachments, and directed the Rangers to assist in this endeavor.
In his order, CJP Isa instructed the additional attorney general to notify relevant federal agencies and distribute a copy of the court's ruling to all concerned parties and security agencies.
