Kidney Hill park

The bench heard extensive arguments on the Kidney Park Hill project near Karsaz and decided to continue the hearing on Friday. Appearing for Shehri and certain residents of the area, Advocate Rizwana Ismail argued that an amenity plot could not be put to any other use, particularly commercial.

Appearing for the Overseas Co-Operative Housing Society, the original petitioner that challenged the park project and claimed all 62 acres comprised in the project, said there was an agreement between the main parties to the proceedings, that is, the petitioner society and the federal, provincial and city governments. The compromise was recorded by the Supreme Court and the case disposed of. Shehri or any other individual or organization had no locus standi in the matter. Under the agreement, 20 acres each were given to the city district government for development of a park and 20 acres to the petitioner society for its housing project. The rest of the land is to be utilized for construction of roads, a hospital, a mosque, a police station, a water reservoir and other infrastructure.

City district government counsel Manzoor Ahmed said the compromise before the Supreme Court was the only way out to end the long-drawn legal controversy. Seven of the 62 acres of land have already been encroached upon. It would be in the fitness of things if work was allowed to commence on a 20-acre park at the earliest.

Advocate Rizwana Ismail said that Sheri had been fighting for civic rights. The established law is that an amenity plot cannot be converted into residential or commercial premises. Only one acre had been given to the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board while its existing reservoir was spread over 10 acres. The reservoir supplied water to 25 union councils.