Ground-plus two floors: SC seeks approvals of buildings granted by SCBA

Supreme Court (SC) has sought the all approvals of buildings granted by Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) for more than ground plus two floors in Karachi in the last ten years.

SC ordered Chief Secretary Sindh to furnish this record along with their addresses, names of owners, present status of buildings and names of sanctioning officials, a detailed order of SC bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Gulzar Ahmed stated in illegal construction at Shahrah-e-Quaideen case at Karachi Registry.

According to SC order, Court directed Chief Secretary to submit the report within the court in two weeks and immediately take over the affairs of SBCA.

Court stated that as far as the present DG SBCA is concerned, he merely appears to be a rubber stamp for the employees of SBCA and other government officials and cannot take his own decisions regarding disallowing construction on the basis of the provisions of

SBCA Ordinance and Regulations. In this view of the matter, it is high time that the Chief Minister of Sindh should look into the matter and take immediate measures for overhauling the SBCA and as a first step, remove the top officials of this authority, including the present DG SBCA and replace them with some honest persons, who can perform their jobs with propriety, honesty and in total obedience of the law on the subject.

Court ruled that no further exploitation of rights of the people of Karachi shall be tolerated.

Order maintained that Commissioner, Karachi pointed out that on Shahrah-e-Quaideen, petrol pumps have been constructed on the green belts and nullahs land and when the administration tried to retrieve the said land, stay orders were obtained from the High Court.

Court ordered Advocate General Sindh to immediately take measures in having the stay orders vacated from the High Court and retrieve the land from illegal possession and restore it for the purpose for which it is meant under the law.

"We expect that the high court shall deal with such matters and decide the issue with promptness, within a period of two months," SC order stated.

Court observed that one time the Quaid-e-Azam Mausoleum with Mausoleums of other Quaideen clearly used to be visible from Sharea Faisal; now it is not, in that it has been surrounded by all types of bad and illegal constructions.

Court ordered Commissioner, Karachi to immediately ensure that the Shahrah-e-Quaideen and its three islands, one in the middle and two on both sides of the roads, are cleared from all sorts of encroachments and occupations and that these are turned into beautiful green belts with thick forestation from Sharea Faisal all the way to the Quaid's Mausoleum.

The service road on both sides of Shahrah-e-Quaideen shall also be cleared to make it serviceable and parking shall not be allowed on them, order stated and added that denters, painters and car repairers have their shops on both sides of Khudadad Colony and Commissioner, Karachi should ensure that these businesses in this area are not conducted and are reallocated to some appropriate place.