SHC orders demolition of illegally constructed plaza

Residents complained builder violated rule on mandatory open spaces.

KARACHI:

A court issued orders on Wednesday to demolish the illegally constructed portions of Naseem Plaza in Garden.

A division bench of the Sindh High Court, comprising Justice Maqbool Baqar and Justice Ghulam Sarwar Korai, was hearing a petition filed by Muhammad Ashfaq, who is the honorary secretary of Naseem Plaza Residents’ Welfare Association.

He had complained that the owner has covered the mandatory open spaces of the building.

Naseem Plaza was built in 1978 and illegal portions, in violation of the approved plan, were added to it later. The initial building plan allowed construction on ground-plus-one floors but four floors were built, and were regularised later. The petitioners challenged the illegal construction because they deprived them of amenities.

The bench had passed an order in May 2008 but it was never implemented so the petitioner filed several contempt of court applications.

On Wednesday, the judges heard the petition and the contempt applications, and ordered the Sindh Building Control Authority director-general to remove “all illegal and unauthorised construction on the subject building within 15 days from today, May 4, so that no trace of such construction remains and such construction is not resurrected again”.

The bench ordered the capital city police officer, town police officer and the relevant SHO to provide security to the demolition squad.

The building authority and the police were directed to make arrangements immediately and to submit a compliance report on May 21 with details and photographs taken from each side of the building.

Upon the request of the building authority’s counsel, Khursheed Javed, the bench directed the utility companies and civic agencies to disconnect the electricity and gas supplies to the portions that are to be demolished within the next two days.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 5^th, 2011.