If the French don’t mind?

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court has restrained the Karachi Building Control Authority from interfering in the construction of flats being built next to the French Consulate General’s office in Clifton.

AN Builders & Developers submitted that they had started construction on multistoried commercial flats by name of Palace Residency on plot No B-10, Bath Island, Clifton, next to the French Consulate General office, which had issued a no-objection letter.

They submitted that the consulate had asked them to just ensure that bullet-proof glass and other security measures were taken on the side exposed to the consulate and these requirements were duly complied with. Suddenly, however, the KBCA Saddar town deputy controller of buildings issued the builders a show-cause notice. The KBCA notice was issued on March 26 and stated that the construction should be stopped as it had not yet received the NOCs from the French Consulate General and Foreign Affairs Ministry.

The builder submitted that it had made a huge investment in the project and a number of flats had already been booked. Therefore, stopping construction being carried out in accordance with the law was causing them an irreparable loss. They prayed the court to order the KBCA to stop interfering. The SHC division bench, comprising Justice Mushir Alam and Justice Tufail H Ebrahim, directed the KBCA not to interfere in the construction. The matter will be taken up after 10 days.

Illegal construction in PECHS The same division bench has ordered the inspection of two amenity plots where illegal construction is being undertaken allegedly by the son of a local Pakistan Peoples Party leader in PECHS. The petitioner, Samiullah Qureshi, submitted that Mohsin Zulfiqar Kaimkhani and Feroze had illegally occupied 326 square yards each, carved out of amenity plots (Nos 51-H/2 and 51-H/3) in Block 6, PECHS. He stated that they were able to get away with it as they enjoyed political patronage.

But the construction was in violation of building laws. He prayed the court to order the KBCA, Administrator Karachi and other official respondents to save the plots from illegal occupation. The bench heard the arguments and then issued a notice to the secretary of Local Government, administrator Karachi, Chief Controller Karachi Building Control Authority, EDO (Revenue) and Administrator PECHS. In the meantime, an SHC official was directed to inspect the site of the plots and submit a report within ten days.