KARACHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Sindh government to fulfil its responsibility for rehabilitating over 6,900 families rendered homeless by a demolition drive, which was carried out along with three major drains in the city.

The apex court also asked them to obtain the estimated cost of construction from the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) for building of houses for such displaced families.

Outside the premises of the SC Karachi registry, a large number of the affected people, including women, gathered and staged a protest against the government for failing to rehabilitate them despite the passage of around three years.

When a two-judge bench headed by Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar took up the matter for hearing, the Sindh chief secretary and advocate general were not in attendance.

Victims of demolition drive stage protest as 6,900 families still await compensation; construction cost for 80sq-yds plot is Rs3.7m, court told

The court expressed resentment over their absence and directed them to immediately appear in court. Thereafter, both the officials appeared and informed the bench about implementation on its earlier orders regarding compensation and rehabilitation of displaced families.

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A lawyer for the displaced families argued that instead of seeking cost of construction from the PEC in line the court order, the provincial government was getting the cost estimates from its own consultants while as per PEC the cost for construction of a house measuring 80 square yards stood around Rs3.7 million.

However, the chief secretary submitted that the houses were built for flood-affected families and the construction cost of a two-room house was Rs300,000.

He submitted that the issue about the cost of construction would be placed before the provincial cabinet.

The bench said that the rehabilitation of these families was the responsibility of the Sindh government and directed it to fulfil the same.

It asked the provincial authorities to get the estimated cost of construction from the PEC and file a report on April 8.

The bench also directed the chief secretary to appear in court on the next hearing.

The provincial authorities in the statement placed before the bench said that in the light of the apex court order passed in December, the provincial cabinet in January had approved the rehabilitation of displaced families including provision of 80 sq-yd plot for each family in Taiser Town, Malir and construction cost as estimated by the consultant capped at Rs1 million.

It further stated that there were 6,932 such families and the total cash compensation for construction was Rs6.9 billion which would be paid to the affected people by the Sindh government.

The statement also maintained that a committee comprising professors of the NED University, renowned architects, representatives of affected families and others would oversee the whole process.

The authorities had sought six-month time from the court for completing the process of transfer of plots and disbursement of cash compensation for construction.

The demolition drive was carried out on the orders of the Supreme Court along with three major nullahs of the city in order to expand the drains.

In 2021 the apex court ordered the provincial and local authorities for compensation and rehabilitation of the affected and displaced families.

Published in Dawn, April 4th, 2024