Lawsuit filed in Karachi over work on Nehr-i-Khayyam canal — Dawn

In Karachi, Pakistan, the Jamaat-i-Islami party and several residents of the Clifton area have filed a petition with the Sindh High Court against the authorities over construction and development work on the Nehr-i-Khayyam canal. The petitioners are asking for the work to be halted and for the watercourse to be preserved for its primary purpose — draining rainwater.

As Dawn reports, the petition was filed by the opposition leader in the city council, advocate Saifuddin, and three other petitioners. The respondents named are the chief secretary, the local government secretary, the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, the Karachi Development Authority, the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation, the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency, and the station house officer of the Boat Basin police station.

Concerns over drainage

The petitioners claim that work is being carried out within Nehr-i-Khayyam itself, around it, and on adjacent public-use plots. In their view, this threatens the preservation of the natural watercourse, may adversely affect the city’s rainwater drainage system, and creates a risk of commercial use of the canal land.

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The plaintiffs also stated that the large-scale project is being implemented at a rapid pace without proper technical and environmental assessment. According to them, this may obstruct rainwater runoff, especially during the monsoon season, and create risks to the safety and interests of Karachi residents.

Requests to the court

The petition states that the authorities cannot ignore approved urban planning documentation or allow the watercourse to be used contrary to its designated purpose and the related public infrastructure. The petitioners referred to previous rulings by the Supreme Court of Pakistan and the Sindh High Court which, they said, had repeatedly halted construction near the canal.

They ask the court to declare unlawful any possible conversion of the stormwater drainage canal into a recreational park, commercial facility, or another facility with an incompatible purpose without legal grounds and compliance with environmental requirements. The petitioners also demand the immediate cessation of work and the demolition of structures, unauthorized constructions, filled areas, and other facilities built within Nehr-i-Khayyam.