Illegal construction: Court orders action against seminary built on park land

The master plan of Gulistan-e-Jauhar clearly marks the plot as park space.

KARACHI: The high court has ordered the authorities to take action against a seminary that slowly cropped up over a plot reserved for a public park in Gulistan-e-Jauhar.

The Sindh High Court (SHC) issued these directives to the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) and the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) on a petition filed by Muhammad Qasim and other residents. They had cited the two authorities, the local government secretary and a resident, Qari Riazul Mustafa Jamil, as respondents.

The petition claimed that the 1,500-square-yard plot in Gulistan-e-Jauhar was clearly marked as a park in the neighbourhood’s master plan. Nearly five years ago, some residents built houses over this land and labourers used some of the space to offer prayers.

Later, Qari Jamil allegedly constructed a single-storey mosque, which later turned into a religious seminary of eight to 10 rooms. According to the petitioners, the respondent did not acquire proper permission from the civic bodies to use this park land as a mosque and a seminary.

These structures are only meant to grab state land, the petitioners accused. They pleaded the court restrain the respondents from carrying out any further constructions and declare the ones already built as illegal.

On Friday, advocate Syed Masroor Ahmed Alvi, who was representing Qari Jamil, submitted that his client has no objection if the authorities decide to demolish the illegal constructions.

Headed by Justice Irfan Saadat Khan, the bench took the lawyer’s statement on record and directed the KMC and SBCA officials to act according to the law. If they find any construction of which there is no legal approval available with the respondents, the structure must be demolished, the bench said. With this direction, the bench adjourned the hearing till March 6 to see further progress in the matter.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 22^nd, 2014.