KARACHI: The Sindh High Court means business. It has been passing orders of demolition of illegally constructed buildings in the city on daily basis which has been causing a storm in the city, especially with the builder mafias. SHC’s incessant probe has brought to fore several multi-storied residential and commercial complexes that have been raised on encroached land and which have exceeded the built area originally allotted to it, in gross violation of the approved building plans.
During last week alone, the Sindh High Court ordered removal of additional structure of three projects. That include an apartment building in the Saddar neighborhood, another seven-story building in Lyari which was built against its approved plan of ground plus one and in Block 13-D of Gulshan-e-Iqbal where an additional floor was built in Aliza Arcade in violation of approved building plan.
Court-room of Justice Zafar Ahmad Rajput, whose bench is assigned such cases, remains very crowded these days with allottes/affectees of the illegally constructed buildings along with their lawyers and government officials filling up the room. The Director General of SBCA and other officials of the Authority are summoned by the court daily and they are grilled for allowing illegal construction of the buildings in the city. The court on Wednesday ordered to demolish additional structure of Makkah Terrace in Saddar which was raised by encroaching land meant for ‘Compulsory Open Space’.
After getting opinions of technical experts, the court ordered the builder to get the building vacated, provide the residents alternate accommodation and remove the additional structure within three weeks. The court ordered that the builder would bear the cost of providing alternate accommodation to occupants of the residential units besides the cost of demolition and removal of debris. The court ordered the builder to restore the building according to original building plan within the next two months and rehabilitate the allottees.
The bench also ordered registration of cases against builders of multistory residential complex in Agrah Taj Colony in Lyari. The court found that against approved plan of ground plus one, a seven story building has been raised by the builders Shah Nawaz and Shahjahan.
The court ordered the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) to put a seal on the building and do not allow anyone to take possession of any residential unit there. The court observed that the building could not have been constructed in blatant violation of approved plan without greasing palms of the concerned officials of the SBCA.
The court directed the Director General SBCA to take strict punitive action against officials of the SBCA who allowed the construction of the seven-story building.
The bench, headed by Justice Zafar Rajput, on Thursday ordered demolition of additional floors of Aliza Arcade in Block 13-D of Gulshan. The court found that the plan was approved for ground plus three floors, however, an additional floors was added illegally. The court also found that a case against the builder Muhammad Ahmed Wahidi was registered but the SBCA did not fought the case and no action was ever taken for demolition of the additional floor.
The court ordered the SBCA to seek help of concerned police station in getting the illegally-constructed floor vacated and demolish the same without causing any damage to remaining structure of the building. Justice Rajput it clear that even a single pillar found to be raised illegally would not be spared.
The court directed the DG SBCA to ensure that the allottees whose flats were are going to be demolished are compensated by the builder besides taking action against the SBCA officials found guilty of allowing the illegal construction.
