SBCA team attacked

Unidentified men assaulted staff, snatched mobile phones, and halted the demolition work

KARACHI:

Officials from the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) faced resistance while trying to raze illegal constructions in Central District on Sunday.

According to the SBCA, unidentified men attacked the SBCA demolition team in North Nazimabad Block J. They assaulted the SBCA staff, snatched their mobile phones, and halted the demolition work. The team contacted the DG SBCA to report the situation.

SBCA DG Ishaq Khoro swiftly reached out to the Central Zone DIG and requested police assistance. While a police contingent arrived at the scene, the demolition work could not resume until late at night.

In another incident in Federal B Area, Block 15, an SBCA team moved to demolish illegal constructions on plots No. 1,744 and 1,743. As they started pulling down the structures, a group of men surrounded them, compelling them to stop their work. Eventually, the SBCA team managed to secure additional police protection.

Sources indicate that a specific group in Central District is involved in illegal constructions, purportedly possessing significant influence, making the demolition of their constructions particularly challenging.

The SBCA spokesperson affirmed that operations against illegal constructions would continue irrespective of external pressure.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 25^th, 2023.