SBCA: right retreat

Sindh Building Control Authority, the SBCA, has had to go back on its controversial, rather senseless, decision to allow commercial use of residential properties in Karachi — however, not before representatives of the civil society and political parties sought judicial intervention in the matter.

As many as eight petitions, filed in the Sindh High Court, forced the building control high-ups to withdraw a notification issued in March that endorsed the rampant violation of building rules whereby no commercial activity is allowed on a residential property.

The unchecked use of residential premises for commercial activity in Karachi over the years has already blurred the difference between a residential and a commercial area so much so that most of the localities in the city look like residential-cum-commercial zones — dotted with private schools, hospitals, clinics, eateries, grocery stores, and even offices, warehouses and factories. Needless to mention that this disturbs peaceful environment and causes mental agony to the residents.

Why did then the SBCA — understood to be acting at the behest of the provincial government — move to legalise an activity that lays the foundation of turning the whole of Karachi into a residential-cum commercial zone? Well, it was an easy way out for the authorities to save the bigwigs among the violators of building rules from actions ordered by the courts over various petitions challenging the unlawful commercial activity on residential premises. This goes to show that our rulers care a damn about a whole populace when it comes to benefiting a select few.

However, thanks to the swift intervention from civil society activists and local politicians, Karachi has been saved from what would have been a civic infrastructure havoc.