KARACHI: The Sindh High Court has directed the commissioner, district administrations and cantonment boards to remove all billboards, hoardings, advertisements and political banners from public property across the city within 15 days.

It also ordered them and the mayor of Karachi to submit details of various contracts which had purportedly been executed by them in respect of billboards and hoardings that existed on such public property.

A two-judge bench comprising Justice Nadeem Akhtar and Justice Mohammad Abdur Rahman also asked the inspector general of Sindh police to ensure compliance with the orders of the apex court as well as the SHC through relevant SSPs of each district, and SHOs should register FIRs against persons found responsible for placement/fixation of such billboards.

The SHC passed these directives during the hearing of a petition filed by a non-governmental organisation through its general secretary seeking implementation of the Supreme Court judgement handed down in 2016 against installation of billboards and hoardings on public property.

At the outset of hearing, the petitioner contended that the apex court had issued clear directions about billboards on public property, but such billboards and hoardings were once again seen throughout the city as the same were being permitted by all government departments/agencies including, but not limited to, the cantonment boards, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, commissioner of Karachi and all the deputy commissioners of the metropolis.

He particularly drew the attention of judges to pedestrian bridges, electric poles and trees on public property on which billboards and hoardings were prominently placed and advertisements of products and services as well as political parties were placed for the campaigning of the upcoming general elections.

The bench said it was well-settled that public property could not be used for any personal, commercial and political purposes or gain and it was prima facie evident that various government departments / agencies were again permitting commercial billboards / hoardings / advertisements as well as political banners / posters / advertisements on public property despite a clear prohibition by the apex court.

“Thus, prima facie, the order of the Hon’ble Supreme Court has been and is being violated by such government departments / agencies, companies / entities...”

The bench issued notices to secretary of defence, secretary of local government department Sindh, Election Commission of Pakistan, KMC, Karachi Development Authority, director general military land & cantonment boards, commissioner Karachi, all DCs of the city, chief executive officers of cantonment boards and other respondents as well as the attorney general and advocate general of Sindh with the direction to respondents to submit their respective comments and compliance reports on or before Jan 18.

It also asked the provincial police officer, mayor of Karachi and others to file their respective compliance reports at next hearing.

“The commissioner and all the deputy commissioners of Karachi, the Mayor Karachi, the cantonment executive officers of each of the cantonments of Karachi shall, within fifteen (15) days of the passing of this order, ensure removal of all billboards/hoardings/banners/posters/advertisements that exist on any of the “public properties” as indicated above within their jurisdiction so as to ensure compliance of the orders of Hon’ble Supreme Court of Pakistan”, it added.

The bench in its order also said: “The Inspector General Police Sindh shall ensure that compliance of the order of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of Pakistan and of this order is made through the relevant SSPs of each District so as to ensure that no billboard / hoarding / banner / poster / advertisement exists on any “Public Property” including, but not limited to, political advertisements on any pedestrian bridge, electric pole or tree planted on public property in the city of Karachi, and to give directions to the SHO of each area within which the same are located to register FIR against any person(s) found responsible for the placement/fixation of such billboards/hoardings/banners/posters/advertisements”.

Published in Dawn, December 22nd, 2023