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CJP says Karachi will have to be rebuilt; Justice Qazi Ameen says such mosques are residences rather than places of worship:
The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the restoration of a park on the site of the Madina Masjid located in Karachi’s Tariq Road area.
A case related to the construction of the mosque was heard in the Supreme Court Karachi Registry today, which was presided over by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed and in which Commissioner Karachi Iqbal Memon and Administrator Karachi Murtaza Wahab and other officials appeared before the court.
The chief justice asked Wahab why he has not taken action against the “illegal mosque”. To this, Wahab replied that if the court orders it, action will be taken.
Justice Ahmed responded by saying: “I am surprised to see you people (behave this way). It is your job and yet you wait for our (the court’s) order.”
Meanwhile, Justice Qazi Ameen, who was also sitting in on the hearing, remarked that such mosques “are not places of worship” and are rather “residences”.
He went on to say that there are neither any electricity nor gas bills to deal with and this particular case has been brought to the court’s attention, otherwise, there are several other illegally constructed areas in Karachi with no one to object to them.
Administrator, DMC East castigated
During the hearing, the court castigated the administrator and District Municipal Corporation East for not knowing the exact boundaries of Tariq Road.
The chief justice said, “you people come to sit in offices, drink tea, gossip, and go home”.
“If you have no work, who is getting everything done?” he asked.
“What have you done to this city? You have caused irreparable damage,” he added.
Justice Ahmed said that to “fix” the city, it will need to be “blown up” first. “This city will need to be rebuilt, the way Germany, Japan, Poland were rebuilt.”
He observed that forty people now live where four people had taken up residence in the past.
The chief justice also expressed his annoyance over money-making having become a priority. “Is minting money your only concern? That seems to be all you are occupied with.”
He said that the city presents the same picture from PECHS to North Nazimabad. “Eight-storey-high buildings have been constructed on plots of 200 square yards.”
“If an earthquake hits the city, everything will be destroyed. Tens of millions of people will die. If you survive, their blood will be on your hands.
“But what do you care? You think you will retire and will be long gone to enjoy life abroad as everyone does. You look forward to wrapping everything up here and leaving as everyone does,” the chief justice said.
