Supreme Court says Sindh CM in contempt in KCR case

The Supreme Court has issued Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah a contempt of court notice for not approving the designs of the underpasses and bridges under the Karachi Circular Railway project.

A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed was hearing the Karachi Circular Railway restoration case.

On Thursday, DG Frontier and Works Organization (FWO) appeared before the court. The court asked him why the FWO has not started the work on the bridges and underpasses. He said that the Sindh government has yet to award them the contract.

Read: KCR’s City Station-Orangi route to be operational from Dec 15

Chief justice said to the DG that it was their duty to design, why was it not ready yet. To this, the DG said that the FWO had submitted the designs but the Sindh government has yet to approve them. We can only start work if the Sindh government issues the directives, he said. It is not possible for us to start work before that.

During the hearing, the chief justice said that an underpass has be built for which the Sindh government has set aside Rs5 billion. FWO’s report, however, says that it would cost Rs16 billion to complete the project, he said. The FWO is not working with a private entity that it makes profit, said Justice Gulzar. We will not allow exploitation under the garb of implementation of the court’s orders, he said.

The court said that the information submitted by the secretary railways is unsatisfactory and that he should submit a reply again in writing.