HYDERABAD: The Sindh High Court (SHC) Circuit Bench in Hyderabad has ordered the Chief Secretary (CS) to stop renaming streets, parks and other public spaces without going through proper legal channels and to submit a report on the matter by September 22, 2017. Advocate Sajjad Ahmed Chandio submitted a constitutional application requesting that action be taken against the unlawful renaming of public spaces. Chandio highlighted that in Sindh different areas, departments, buildings, roads and many official organisations are named after different personalities, stakeholders, politicians and social workers who have made contributions to the province or the country in one way or another. The application mentioned Hyderabad Ghulam Muhammad Mehar Medical College, Aasifa Medical College and other locations and streets which are named after the parents, sons, daughters and siblings of prominent figures who have made no contributions that would justify that these locations be named after them. Chando cited the UK and other developed countries as examples, saying that in these countries nobody could change the name of a public space on their own. After hearing the stand, Justice Sallahudin Panwer said that Pakistan is a democratic country where the law doesn’t allow anyone to rename a public space or government property on a whim, and that only people who have made significant contributions to Pakistani society are deserving of having a public space named after them. The Court has ordered the CS and other concerned departments to create a proposal about renaming places which were named after undeserving personalities and submit report on the matter within 10 days.
Published in Daily Times, September 12th 2017.
