Court summons SBCA DG over illegal constructions

SBCA's counsel says residential area turned into industrial zone, sewerage system destroyed

KARACHI:

A Sindh High Court bench issued notices on Tuesday summoning the Sindh Building Control Authority director-general in personal capacity at the next hearing of the plea against illegal constructions in the Bahadurabad residential area.

A two-member bench, headed by Justice Irfan Saadat Khan and comprising Justice Yousuf Ali Sayeed, heard the plea.

During the hearing, the counsel representing SBCA, advocate Tariq Mansoor, resigned from his post, maintaining that being in the panel was of no benefit when he could not get justice in a year and a half.

Don't get emotional, said Justice Khan, directing his comments to the counsel. Getting jobs in the country is difficult, remarked Justice Khan. Legal matters take time but justice is served for sure, he said, adding that a period of one and a half years usually passes in the issuance of notices, submission of replies and counter replies.

The SBCA's counsel maintained that the entire residential area has been turned into an industrial zone and the sewerage system has been destroyed.

Why doesn't the SBCA take action against illegal constructions, asked the bench. Would everything only be done when the court passes orders, the bench remarked.

The court adjourned the hearing till January 20, 2021 and directed the SBCA DG to appear before the court in personal capacity at the next hearing. Besides, the SBCA DG was directed to take action after reviewing illegal constructions.

Replies sought

Meanwhile, the SHC sought written replies from the Karachi Medical and Dental College (KMDC), University of Karachi's (KU) controller and other parties by January 14 over a plea against the KMDC for not conducting examinations.

The petitioner has maintained in the plea that KMDC was the only college in the city, which did not conduct the examination and the college was closed in the name of the coronavirus threat.

He claimed that the education of the students was being affected due to the behaviour of its administration.

During the hearing, the college administration maintained that they were ready to conduct examinations. The court remarked that verbal explanation is not enough and a written reply needs to be submitted.

The court directed KMDC, KU controller and other parties to submit written replies by January 14, 2021.

Bail plea accepted

Separately, the court accepted the bail plea of Pakistan Peoples Party leader Nisar Khuhro in the third National Accountability Bureau (NAB) inquiry against him.

Khuhro's counsel maintained that the NAB had issued a call-up notice to Khuhro on February 18, 2019, but earlier, they had informed him that the inquiry was closed. The counsel asked how could NAB issue another call-up notice for allegations similar to those in the first two inquiries.

The counsel informed the court that they had filed two separate pleas for the first two inquiries.

The court inquired when the hearing was on the two pleas and was informed by the counsel that hearing for the other two pleas is scheduled for January 27, 2021.

The court accepted the interim bail plea of Khuhro against the surety of Rs1 million, directing him to cooperate in investigations and adjourned the hearing till January 27.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 23^rd, 2020.