Sindh govt files plea in Bahria Town case seeking deposited Rs460 billion
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The Sindh government has filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking money deposited by the Bahria Town Karachi (BTK) in the apex court, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
The Sindh government submitted a miscellaneous petition in the Bahria Town implementation case.
The provincial government took the position that it should be given the money deposited by the BTK as it is in dire need of funds for its development projects.
The petition stated that in its decision of May 4, 2018, the Supreme Court had accepted the Sindh government’s ownership of 16,000 acres of land.
It further said that a miscellaneous petition seeking delay in the instalments payment by the BTK had already been rejected in December 2020.
The purpose of new application by the BTK is also to delay the payment of installments.
The Sindh government stated that the Bahria Town Karachi is bound to submit Rs460 billion in instalments in exchange for 16,000 acres of land which it had acquired.
It said that the court issued the order for Rs460 billion payment to be made in instalments with the consent of BTK.
A three-judge SC bench to be led by Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Qazi Faez Isa will hear the case on November 8.
The Supreme Court in 2019, accepted the offer by the Bahria Town to settle a case pertaining to its Malir or Karachi Super Highway project in lieu of payment of Rs460 billion.
Bahria Town Karachi was supposed to pay the entire amount over seven years.
In its ruling, the top court ordered the BTK to pay Rs25 billion by August 2019.
On Dec 16, 2020, the apex court had rejected a plea to grant moratorium of three years to BTK in the monthly instalment of Rs2.5 billion because of Covid-19 pandemic-related economic recession.
The BTK had sought freezing of the payment plan from the Supreme Court in view of Covid pandemic-related recession, with the effect that the payment of Rs2.5 billion monthly instalments be deferred for three years starting from Sept 7, 2020, until Sept 2023.
Likewise, in Oct 20, 2020, the Supreme Court had appointed a high-powered commission to oversee the disbursement of funds being deposited by the BTK.
Reporter Amanat Gishkori