The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday ordered that the extortion of Karachi’s citizens in the name of charged parking must be stopped immediately.
A two-member bench of the Sindh High Court heard the case regarding charged parking at various public places in the city.
During the hearing, the concerned authorities were questioned about the law they were blanketing these parking charges under.
The representative of the commissioner’s office conceded that there was no law to charge parking fees, only for road repairs.
Expressing dissatisfaction at the situation the court told the commissioner’s representative to go to DMCs, traffic police and others and ensure that they stop extortion in the name of parking fees.
Justice Muhammad Iqbal Kalhoro remarked that no roads in the city are being made with the revenue generated through parking fees “Have you seen the state the city is in?” he remarked.
The judge said that if the mafia is not taken care of, tomorrow people will be charged a parking fee to park their own car outside their own house.
“People are being forced to pay Rs 20 or 30 daily to save their own honour. Why do you not put up boards in parking lots (saying that there is no parking fee)?”
The judge also pointed out that earlier parking was allowed on one side of a road, “now cars are parked on both sides, what is this?”
The Additional Advocate General told the court that contracts have been awarded for parking on the streets of Karachi, to which the court said that it will take action in every possible way and will not allow citizens to be extorted in the name of parking fees.
DMCs across the city, Commissioner Karachi, DIG Traffic, police and other agencies have been told to submit a detailed reply to the court on the matter on October 29.
