Defying orders: SHC fines two officers of Sindh Building Control Authority

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) imposed on Wednesday a fine of Rs10,000 each on two officers of the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) for disobeying its order and not cooperating with the court's nazir in the inspection of an alleged illegal construction in Jamshed Town.

Headed by Justice Nadeem Akhtar, a two-judge bench directed SBCA's assistant director Rashid Narejo and senior building inspector Zameer Ayub to deposit Rs10,000 each from their personal accounts as they did not comply with the court's directives and failed to provide the approved plan to the court's nazir.

Earlier, the court had appointed the nazir to inspect the alleged illegal construction in Jamshed Town area, directing the SBCA to cooperate with him and provide him an approved plan of the building.

On Wednesday, the nazir said Narejo and Ayub did not provide the approved plan of the subject building despite their assurance.

In a bungled attempt to save the officers, the authority's lawyer, Rao Sarfaraz Khan, assured the judges that the copy of the approved plan will be provided to its nazir by November 12.

A non-profit organisation, Focus Welfare Foundation, had approached the court, saying that project Zulekha Corner was being constructed in Jamshed Town against the site plan approved by the SBCA.

It alleged that the builder was constructing flats on recreational area and changing sizes of plinth and beam.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 10^th, 2016.