Dangerous structures: SHC issues notices in dilapidated buildings’ demolition case

Petitioner claims 288 buildings of the city are in a shambles

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) issued on Tuesday notices to the provincial chief secretary, the local government secretary, the Karachi administrator, the director-general of the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) and heads of civic agencies to file comments on a petition seeking demolition of as many as 288 dilapidated buildings in the city.

A division bench, headed by Justice Irfan Saadat Khan, directed the provincial law officer as well as the law officers of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) and other civic agencies to file their comments on action initiated against such structures in the city by August 31.

A public interest litigant, Rana Faizul Hasan, had taken the chief secretary, the local government secretary, the KMC administrator, the SBCA director-general, the chief executive officer of K-Electric and the managing directors of Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) and the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) Limited to court. The petitioner claimed that there are 288 buildings in different parts of the city that are in shambles and the SBCA had already declared them too dangerous to live in.

Read: Dilapidated: Around 290 school buildings declared unsafe

A majority of such dilapidated buildings — 224 in number — are located in Saddar Town, 11 in Jamshed Town, three in Keamari, 20 in Lyari, two each in Malir and Shah Faisal Colony, 18 in Liaquatabad, three in Baldia Town and one each in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Korangi, Gulberg, North Nazimabad and the SITE Town.The SBCA has started a drive to get such dangerous buildings vacated ahead of the start of the monsoon season. But, instead of taking practical measures, the officials are merely relying on making announcements through loudspeakers, asking the inmates to leave, alleged Hasan. "Under chapter 7 of the Karachi Building and Town Planning Regulations, 2002, the SBCA is legally bound to initiate action against the old and dilapidated buildings and demolish them to avert any losses. But the authority's action on the ground is limited to paperwork, which is a violation of articles 4, 8, 9, 23, 24, 25 and 38 of the Constitution," he argued. The bench issued notices to the respondents for August 31 to file their comments.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 5^th, 2015.