The Sindh High Court (SHC) has issued notices to the provincial social welfare department, Pakistan Federation of Business Women Organization and others on a petition against misusing the retired women hostel’s premises in Clifton for unauthorised commercial purposes.
The petitioner, Zar Nigar, had submitted in the petition that she was residing in a hostel for retired women, which was part of Dr Salma Ahmed Women Complex managed by the Pakistan Federation of Business Women Organization.
A counsel for the petitioner submitted that the respondent organisation was misusing government-allotted public land and buildings to run a commercial enterprise to the detriment of the petitioner and other retired women for whom the premises were intended.
He submitted that the respondent organisation was causing harassment to the petitioner as she and other few residents had raised objections to the illegal letting out welfare-designated premises for commercial entities. The counsel submitted that the petitioner had filed a complaint before the provincial ombudsman which had not been met with protection but reprisal and she was subjected to harassment by the respondent organisation for exercising her right to hold a welfare body accountable.
He submitted that the social welfare department also failed to address complaints of the petitioner relating to unlawful commercialisation, harassment, privacy violation and denial of utilities.
The high court was requested to declare the action of the respondent organisation with regard to harassment of the petitioner and misusing the hostel premises for commercial purposes as unlawful.
The petitioner requested the SHC to declare that the amenity plot given to the respondent organisation could not be used for running any commercial activity other than providing accommodation to working women and retired women and the building of Salma Ahmed Women Complex be strictly used for the welfare purposes.
A division bench of the SHC headed by Justice Zulfiqar Ali Sangi after a preliminary hearing of the petition issued notices to the social welfare department, SBCA and others and called their comment on the next hearing.
Published in News Daily on 21-July-2025.