SHC orders demolition of six-storey building

Ground-plus-five structure was illegally raised in Shanti Nagar

KARACHI:

The Sindh High Court (SHC) has ordered demolition of a six-story structure connected to unlawful constructions in Shanti Nagar, Gulshan-e-Iqbal.

Appearing before the bench on Saturday, the petitioner's counsel stated that a ground plus five-storey structure was illegally raised on Plot No. A59 in Block-19 of Shanti Nagar, but the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) was reluctant to pursue legal action against the owner.

In their response, SBCA officials admitted before the court that the building was unlawful as construction of a ground plus five-storey structure was not permitted in Shanti Nagar.

"If the building is unlawful, then appropriate action should have been taken," the bench remarked. The court then ordered demolition of the building and sought a compliance report by April 28.

Meanwhile, another SHC bench disposed of a petition against inclusion of a candidate in the recent local bodies' election in wrong voters list by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). The petition was filed by Muhammad Aslam, a candidate in the LB elections.

Appearing before the court, the lawyer for the petitioner Usman Farooq Advocate confirmed that his candidate's name has been included in the correct voters' list by the ECP. He requested the court for the withdrawal of his petition which the court granted.

In the earlier petition, Usman Farooq Advocate had contended that his client Muhammad Aslam's old residential address was entered in the new voters list. "However, the election was postponed due to the death of a candidate; otherwise my client would have been out of the race," he further submitted.

For the by-elections, the ECP says that polling will now be conducted as per the new voters list, according to the petitioner. "I was also barred from re-submitting my nomination papers for the by-election. In such a scenario, if the election is held, my vote will go to another ward," he stated.

He prayed the court ordered NADRA and ECP officials to rectify this mistake as soon as possible because "if it is not rectified, I shall not be able to contest the election". Meanwhile, an accountability court rejected Dr Asim Hussain's plea for acquittal in a corruption reference involving Rs17 billion.

Dr Asim Hussain and other accused appeared in the court which ruled against acquittal of the accused. According to NAB, Dr Asim and others are accused of corruption worth Rs17 billion in connection with gas contracts.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 9^th, 2023.