PSP chief opposes ban on high-rise buildings

Mustafa Kamal, chairman Pak Sarzameen Party on Tuesday requested the Supreme Court of Pakistan to revisit the decision regarding ban on the construction of high-rise buildings as the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KW&SB) has totally misguided the water commission appointed by the Apex Court. Speaking at a press briefing at the ABAD House, he said that the ban on construction of high-rise buildings in Karachi would badly affect the country's economy and would open floodgates of unemployment and also result in more Katchi Abadis in the city.
"Buildings do not consume water; water is consumed by people whether they will reside in a multi-storey building or in a hut," he said, adding that he would raise this issue on every available platform as this ban was deleterious to the national economy.
He questioned why no ban on vehicles if accidents are on the rise, why not ban on use of electricity if the country lacks electricity? He said that Master Plan department was created to keep a watch on the working of the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) but this department was put under the SBCA, which was like keeping a watchman under the control of a thief.
Kamal said that the construction sector was providing jobs to thousands of people and is considered backbone of the economy. He said that ban on construction of high-rise and multi-storey buildings in Karachi would not only be detrimental for builders and developers but also affect more than 70 allied-industries, adversely.
Chairman ABAD Arif Jeewa said that more than Rs 600 billion of investment was stuck due to ban on construction of high-rise and multi-storey buildings in Karachi. He said that builders and developers were paying billions on account of development charges but a meagre amount was being spent in this head. He said that despite generating 70 per cent of total revenue, the city had been neglected with its due rights. Senior vice chairman ABAD Fayaz Ilyas, vice chairman Sohail Warind and chairman southern region Altaf Tai were also present on the occasion.