ISLAMABAD – The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected a petition seeking withdrawal of orders to demolish a mosque constructed illegally in Pakistan’s biggest city.
The Madina Masjid was constructed (years ago) on the land meant for Kidney Hill Park near Tariq Road in the port city.
During Tuesday’s hearing on the plea filed by Attorney General Khalid Javed Khan, the petitioner argued that the demolition orders were triggering ‘religion tension’.
The top government lawyer requested the court to review its Dec 28 verdict.
Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed, on the other hand, responded that the Sindh government could allocate an alternative space for the mosque, insisting that a park will be built on that land.
Justice Qazi Amin Ahmed remarked that religion was being used to occupy lands.
When the attorney general again requested the court to review its order, the chief justice remarked: “All we can do is order the mosque not to be demolished until an alternative space is not allocated”.
CJP Gulzar said that the order for removal of illegal constructions will not be withdrawn.
The court sought a report from the Sindh government in three weeks and adjourned the hearing till January 13.
On Dec 28, the top court had reprimanded the city administration over illegal constructions including mosques and shrines on public places and ordered it to raze down all encroachments to retrieve the land for parks.
The bench came hard on the DMC-East administrator when he sought a court order to remove the mosque and said that it was his duty to restore public spaces.
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