HYDERABAD, July 19: The Executive District Officer (Law), district government, Shamsuddin Sahito, on Tuesday informed Sindh High Court, Hyderabad circuit bench, that the district nazim did not impose any ban on operation of coaster buses.

Following the statement, the court dismissed the stay application which had become infructuous.

The EDO law filed comments on behalf of the district nazim before court in a constitutional petition, filed by group of transporters whose buses were operating from Sabzi Mandi area and their operation was banned by Gulshan-e-Hali police under verbal directives of the district nazim in the wake of death of a minor boy on May 31.

He also submitted a written statement of the district nazim Hyderabad.

In his statement the district nazim said that this petition had been filed with ulterior motive to put administration under pressure and accused transporters of operating buses from halting point in illegal manner.

He said that since 2000 route permits of petitioners’ bus services had not been renewed by the District Regional Transport Authority.

He quoted the order passed by Mr.Justice Sarmad Jalal Osmani in civil revision 133 of 2004 in which two bus terminals i.e. Badin bus stand and Baldia bus stand had been mentioned for air conditioned and non-air conditioned buses.

He said that all buses and other vehicles were restricted to enter into the city of Hyderabad barring these two terminuses no other bus stands are sanctioned by Chairman District Regional Transport Authority/DCO Hyderabad.

He denied that plot Nos 245, 172, 271 and 27 were sanctioned by high court of Sindh as per final decision in the said civil revision.

He said it was also incorrect that vehicles of petitioners were not parked on road. “It is denied that on June 1 the district nazim had given oral order. Such version is vehemently denied”, he said. The EDO Law said that it was false and bogus allegation against the district nazim and denied that he had ever given any such order against respondent transporters.

He further said that application of transporters had been forwarded to Chairman DRTA for necessary action.

He prayed the court to dismiss the petition with cost because it was filed to create pollution, law and order situation and problems for general public.

Earlier, police officials had denied before the court that they were harassing transporters.

They said they were only complying with the order of high court passed in civil revision application on Sept 24, 2004.

The transporters in their petition said that on June 1 the district nazim verbally directed respondent police officers not to allow petitioners to park their vehicles on their sanctioned places i.e., compound premises.

They prayed the court to declare verbal order of the district nazim as illegal and respondents should be directed to allow petitioners to do their lawful business as permission granted to them is lawful.

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