IN THE SUPREME COURT OF PAKISTAN 
(Appellate Jurisdiction) 
 
Present: 
Mr. Justice Mian Saqib Nisar 
Mr. Justice Amir Hani Muslim 
Mr. Justice Khilji Arif Hussain 
 
 
CMA No.209-K of 2014 in C.P. 
No.152-K 
of 
2011 
and 
CMAs 
No.657 to 660-K of 2015 and CMA 
No.869-K of 2015 in CMA No.209-
K of 2014. 
 
(Report of Karachi Cantonment Board 
regarding Hoardings and signboards 
installed with permission and without 
permission) 
 
In attendance:  
Mr. Salman Talibuddin, Additional Attorney 
General, Pakistan 
 
Mr. Nisar Ahmed Durrani, Advocate General, 
Sindh 
 
Mr. Adnan Karim, Additional Advocate General, 
Sindh 
 
Mr. Mukesh Kumar Karara, Additional Advocate 
General, Sindh 
 
Mr. Yasin Azad, ASC for Karachi Cantonment 
Board (CMA No.869-K of 2015) 
 
Syed Jamil Ahmed, ASC and Mr. Khaleeq Ahmed, 
ASC for KMC 
 
Mr. Nazar Hussain Dhoon, ASC for Defence 
Housing Authority 
 
Mr. Sanaullah Noor Ghouri, ASC for Civil 
Aviation Authority 
 
Mr. Sohail H.K. Rana, ASC for CEO, Karachi 
Cantonment  
 
Rana Manzoor, CEO, Karachi Cantonment  
 
Mr. Arfin Zubair Chaudhry, Additional CEO, 
Clifton, Karachi 
 
Mr. Rabnawaz, CEO, Korangi, Karachi 
 
Mr. Asif Ameer Khan, CEO 
 
Ms. Ayesha Abro, Administrator, DMC 
 
Lieutenant Colonel Khadim Hussain Changezi 
from Station Head Quarter, 5 Core 
 
Lieutenant Imranul Haq, Senior Staff Officer, Legal 
to Commander Karachi 
 
Lieutenant Shafiq-ur-Rehman, Assistant Director 
Legal Services, Naval 
 
Mr. Muhammad Aslam Chaudhry, Legal Advisor, 
Karachi Cantonment 
CMA 209-K/14 etc. 
 
 
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Syed Zahid Hussain, Officer Incharge, Control 
Room 
 
Amicus curiae:  
Mr. Abdul Rehman, Advocate  
 
Date of Hearing:  
05.5.2016 
 
ORDER 
 
Amir Hani Muslim, J. In compliance with the Orders of this 
Court passed on 10.3.2016, the learned Additional Attorney General for 
Pakistan has placed before us an interim report reflecting that the meetings 
held in the Office of the Commissioner Karachi with the object to achieve 
city-wide uniformity for installation of Billboards and Hoardings. The 
interim report further reflects that all the stakeholders, who attended the 
meetings, proposed the amendments in the respective by-laws. The 
proposed amendments on the subject, annexed with the interim report, 
read as follows:- 
 
“There are following types of advertisement: 
1. Bill Boards/Hoardings :  
45‟ x 15‟ (Max. Height 30 feet) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
10’ x 20‟ (Max. Height 20 feet) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
60’ x 20‟ (Max. Height 60 feet) 
The total height of hoarding including 
 board should not exceed 80 feet from 
ground. 
 
 
 
2. Pylons / Canopi 
: 
6‟ x 12‟ 
3. Bridge Panel           : 
Length as per Bridge & Height not                
exceeding 10 feet. 
 
4. Panel / Wall Panel  : 
Length as per Area & Width 20 feet 
5. LED Screens        : 
Maximum 1200 sq. feet. No other Board 
within 500 feet. 
 
 
The Bill Boards / Hoardings on Roof Top and Over Handing on 
Footpath, Roads and Triangles are not allowed.  
 
Distance of 400 feet between the two bill boards must be 
maintained. 
 
High marks are not allowed. 
CMA 209-K/14 etc. 
 
 
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3 
 
Apart from Pole Sign, no other type of hoarding should be 
allowed on Central Median / Triangle / Square and Roundabouts. 
 
Responsible organizations to ensure aesthetic beauty of the city & 
public safety. 
 
On boundaries of lands, 100 feet be left by each organization on 
either side. 
 
For pedestrian bridge minimum 3 feet space from walking track 
be left open for ventilation / security of pedestrian.  
 
Maximum allowed angle is upto 45 Degrees to the road.  
 
Every Contractor shall provide structural plane, stability 
certificate duly vetted by another Engineer registered with PEC. 
 
Third party insurance shall be carried out by Contractor for each 
board”.  
 
2. 
 
We have inquired from the learned Advocate General Sindh, 
present in Court, the view point of the Sindh Government on the issue of 
installation of Billboards and Hoardings on public properties. He has made 
a statement on behalf of the Sindh Government that no Billboards or 
Hoardings of any nature can be allowed to be installed on public properties. 
The learned Additional Attorney General was also of the view that 
Billboards and Hoardings cannot be installed on the public properties.  
3. 
 
The term ‘public property’ has wide meaning and, therefore, 
we would like to clarify it in the order to avoid any ambiguity. The term 
‘public property’ shall include the following places: 
“(i)  
Roads. 
(ii)  
Sidewalks. 
(iii) 
Islands in the centre of a road/service lane – including but 
not limited to „Sponsored Islands‟ whereby the entire 
Island is maintained by a private person who displays his 
name and products on the traffic signs. 
 
(iv)  
Overhead Bridges and Underpasses. 
(v) 
 Overhead pedestrian walkways/bridges. 
CMA 209-K/14 etc. 
 
 
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(vi)  
Roundabouts – including but not limited to „Sponsored 
Roundabouts‟ 
whereby 
the 
entire 
Roundabout 
is 
maintained by a private person/or any organization who 
displays his or their name and products on the traffic signs.  
 
(vii) Green Belts/Dividers between a road. 
(viii)  Pedestrian lanes. 
(ix) 
Nullahs (Storm Water Drains) and the banks of Nullahs 
(Storm Water Drains) which abut roads. 
 
Notes: 
(i) 
Traffic signs i.e. signs set up by the Traffic 
Department providing directions are permissible on 
these locations but should not be „Sponsored 
Traffic Signs‟ i.e. Traffic Signs that are sponsored 
by private persons and display their name and 
products on the traffic signs. 
(ii) 
Signboards located within a plot not listed above but 
which in any manner “overhang” any of the areas 
listed above”.  
 
4. 
 
We have heard Mr. Abdul Rehman Advocate as amicus, the 
learned Additional Attorney General for Pakistan, Advocate General Sindh 
and Administrators of District Town Committees. There is no law which 
permits K.M.C., D.M.C., Cantonment Boards or any other agency in Karachi 
to install Billboards or Hoardings on a public property. Such an act on the 
part of permission granting agency is against the civil rights of the citizens. 
The civil rights of the citizens cannot be hampered with by erecting the 
Billboards or Hoardings on the civic amenity meant for the use and benefit 
of public at large besides such an act would endanger the life and property 
of the common man.    
5. 
 
As a first step, we are of the considered view that no Billboard 
or Hoarding can be permitted to be installed on any public property as 
defined in the preceding paragraph by any authority under the garb of by-
laws which militate the civil rights of the public at large. Therefore, all the 
CMA 209-K/14 etc. 
 
 
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concerned authorities are directed to immediately remove all the 
Billboards/Hoardings installed without permission within their jurisdiction 
within 15 days from today and report compliance.  
6. 
 
The Billboards/Hoardings which have been installed in the 
public properties under any license or lease shall be uprooted by 30th June, 
2016 by the concerned advertising agencies which own that poles or 
displaying materials or by the contractors if they own such material or by 
the authorities with whose permission the Billboards or Hoardings have 
been installed. In the intervening period, no permission shall be granted by 
any of the authority in Karachi to install the Billboard/Hoarding on any 
portion of public place/property as clarified hereinabove.  
7. 
 
The learned Additional Attorney General is further directed to 
hold meetings, within a month, with all the stakeholders who grant 
permission for installation of such Billboards/Hoardings in Karachi to 
finalize the amendments in the proposed by-laws applicable beyond the 
public properties so that city-wide uniformity could be achieved on the one 
hand and safety measures of the citizens of Karachi shall be ensured on the 
other hand. The proposed meetings shall be attended by the Advocate 
General Sindh, as well. The learned Additional Attorney General shall 
submit report within one month.  
8. 
 
Copy of this Order be faxed and sent to the Registrar, Sindh 
High Court for placing it before the learned Chief Justice and all the learned 
Judges for their information. Office shall also send copies to the learned 
Amicus Curiae, the learned Additional Attorney General and the learned 
Advocate General Sindh.   
CMA 209-K/14 etc. 
 
 
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9. 
 
Office is directed to re-list this matter after 30th June, 2016. All 
the authorities concerned shall submit their compliance reports in the light 
of above referred directions.      
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Judge 
 
 
 
Judge 
 
 
 
Judge 
 
Karachi, the 
5th May, 2016