SBCA officials warned against ‘hiding’ illegal construction

KARACHI:

Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) officials will be considered involved in illegal constructions if they don't report any such construction in their relevant areas. This was said by Sindh Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah on Tuesday during a high profile meeting with SBCA officials.

He said that the entire SBCA has been defamed by the illegal constructions in Karachi and the officials behind them.

"Eight-storey buildings are erected on small residential plots which soon cave in, causing huge losses of property and lives," said Shah.

He directed the SBCA officials to expedite action against illegal structures across the city as per the apex court's orders and plan a mass anti-illegal construction in this regard. He said that cases should be registered against the officials found supporting the illegal constructions.

Shah also highlighted the need of improving SBCA laws and stressed on activating the district level committees formed for curbing the illegal constructions.

He said that the government of Sindh, Pakistan Rangers and police department's assistance should be sought for implementing the judicial orders.

According to Shah, no authority or individual is above the law and Pakistan Peoples Party never supports any kind of illegal construction or encroachment.

SBCA Director General (DG) Saleem Raza Khuhro, senior directors and other officials attended the meeting.

Demolition drives

Earlier on the day, several illegal units, structures and encroachments were razed during a demolition operation in different areas of the city as per the SBCA DG's directives.

The SBCA's demolition squads razed additional floors, precast roofs and extended boundaries in Saddar Town of South district, North Nazimabad Town, Gulbahar and Nazimabad in Central district, Jamshed Town, Liaquatabad Town and Karachi administrative Cooperative Housing Society in East district.

Read More: ‘SBCA official took bribe to allow illegal construction’

A five-storey building in a densely populated area of Lyari district was intended to be demolished to the ground. The shuttering of this building was taken down at the start of its demolition while work to raze it completely was underway.

Moreover, the demolition of fourth floor of another five-storey building in Gulistan Colony was continued. The SBCA teams decided to seal the rest of the building after tearing the fourth floor down.

The aforementioned operations were carried out under the supervision of concerned SBCA deputy and assistant directors and demolition officers, assisted by SBCA police force for controlling the peace and security situation and were still underway till the filing of this report.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 7^th, 2021.