The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the removal of all petrol pumps and illegal structures/encroachments from the plots reserved for public welfare and greenbelts, while also directing the commissioner to submit a detailed report after conducting a survey of the city, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed was hearing a case pertaining to giving government land reserved for public use on lease for establishing petrol pumps in one of the country’s main industrial hub.

During the hearing, Justice Ijaz-ul-Ahsan remarked that the greenbelt was like lungs for a city.

Chief Justice Gulzar observed that the land should be used only for the purposes for which it had been reserved.

As he asked the Faisalabad commissioner whether the petrol pumps established on a greenbelt and a public park had been removed, the government official replied in affirmative and said the court directives gave them the necessary strength. The particular piece of land was leased 30 years ago, he added.

Similarly, Justice Qazi Amin remarked that running the city affairs wasn’t a job of parliamentarians or judges. “It’s the administration’s job. Commercial activities on such land is a failure of administration,” he observed.

On the other hand, the additional advocate general informed the court that they would file a report after removing encroachments and from greenbelts and public welfare plots within a week.

However, the Supreme Court adjourned the hearing after directing the Faisalabad commissioner and the Member Colonies Board of Revenue to submit a report on the matters related to the city in three weeks.