SHC moved for demolition of 288 unsafe buildings

Karachi
The Sindh High Court issued notices to the chief secretary, the Sindh Building Control Authority, the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation and others on Tuesday on a petition seeking the sealing and demolition of 288 buildings in the city declared dangerous because of their dilapidated conditions.
The petitioner, Rana Faizul Hasan, said the SBCA had declared 288 buildings in different parts of the city, most of them in Saddar Town, dangerous and they could collapse at any time. Of these buildings, 244 are located in Saddar, 11 in Jamshed Town, three in Keamari, 20 in Lyari, two in Shah Faisal Colony, two in Malir, 18 in Liaquatabad and one each in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Korangi, Baldia Town, Gulberg, North Nazimabad and SITE Town.
Hasan submitted that a building in Kharadar had collapsed on July 29 and no loss of life had occurred as its inhabitants were timely vacated. He said the lives of around 6,000 people living in these buildings were at stake and as they had no alternate accommodation, they were forced to reside there.
The petitioner submitted that the government and local administration were not taking steps for safely shifting of the inhabitants from these buildings.
Hasan alleged that for the last 10 years, the SBCA had been publishing advertisements in newspapers cautioning the occupants of these buildings to vacate them or they would themselves be responsible for any loss of lives or properties they might suffer in case the structures caved in.
“Under chapter 7 of the Karachi Building and Town Planning Regulations 2002, the SBCA is legally bound to initiate action against 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 in violation of articles 4, 8, 9, 23, 24, 25 and 38 of the Constitution,” he argued.
The court was prayed to direct the SBCA to take steps for shifting the inhabitants of the buildings declared dangerous and demolish them.
An SHC division bench headed by Justice Irfan Saadat Khan after the preliminary hearing of the petition issued notices to the chief secretary, the SBCA and others and sought their comments on August 31.

China-cutting
The high court directed the SBCA, the anti-encroachment SSP, the estate and enforcement director and others to file comments in a case pertaining to the “China-cutting” of plots on a 15-acre land in Gulistan-e-Jauhar.
The petitioner, the Islamic Estate, through its counsel, Syed Anwar Jaffery, submitted that it had bought 15 acres in 1969 in Deh Safoora Block 6 and 7 Gulistan-e-Jauhar for starting a residential scheme. The counsel submitted that the private respondents and land grabbers in connivance with the officials of the SBCA and the revenue department had occupied the land and selling residential units by illegally allotting the land to private buyers. The court directed the SBCA, the anti-encroachment police and others to file comments on the petition.