Tenants start vacating Nasla Tower

The process of vacating the 15-storey residential building Nasla Tower has started under the orders of the Supreme Court. The tenants of Nasla Tower have started shifting their belongings.

 People living in rented apartments have started moving out, whereas, many people who own their apartments have refused to budge. Ferozabad Assistant Commissioner Asma Batool gave the residents of Nasla Tower till October 27 to vacate the building.

The assistant commissioner said that as soon as the deadline given by the Supreme Court expires, "we will take over the building." Hopefully, she said, "no force will be used to evacuate the building. If the victims do not get their money back, they should file a case in court."

Connections of electricity, water and gas to the 15-storey residential building were cut off a day earlier on the orders of the apex court.

On Wednesday, tenants of the 44 flats in Nasla Tower began shifting their belongings. People were seen loading furniture, electrical appliances and household items on trucks and other transport vehicles. The flat owners, however, were still residing inside the building.

 The apartment owners have announced that they would not vacate the flats until they received full payment from the builders.

 "We will not leave until we get our money back," the flat owners said, adding the Sindh government should apprise them the procedure of getting their money back. "If the Karachi commissioner gives us our money back, we will leave," they said. "The building's water, electricity and gas connections have been cut off, which is absolutely wrong," they added."We have not yet been given a refund plan."

Meanwhile, Ferozabad Assistant Commissioner Asma Batool reached Nasla Tower to meet the victims. Talking to media after meeting the residents of the building, she said that she had talked to the victims who have said that they would vacate the building soon.

"Victims have assured that they are evacuating. Illegal buildings in the city are being identified and demolished. We have requested the victims to contact the builders in the light of the orders of the Supreme Court. If the victims do not get their money back, they should file a case in court," she said.

On the other hand, political parties also continued to express solidarity with the residents of the building. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and Leader of Opposition in Sindh Assembly, Haleem Adil Sheikh, and Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) chairman Mustafa Kamal reached Nasla Tower and expressed solidarity with the victims.

Talking to media, Haleem Adil Sheikh said that he had met the Nasla Tower victims. "All matters aside, it is not the fault of the occupants. Fifteen story building was constructed and no one was there to stop it from being constructed. Victims should be given more time for shifting," he said, adding that he would talk to the prime minister and the Sindh governor to help the victims. Police personnel were also deployed outside the building for security reasons.

Meanwhile, an advertisement issued by the Karachi Commissioner for demolition of the building said that the 15-storey concrete building was to be demolished in the safest and quickest way in light of the orders by the Supreme Court.

 "This requires the help of demolition companies in the demolition of the building through controlled implosion. Those interested should contact the Karachi commissioner's office in person or by email within three days," the advertisement read.