The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) mayor has said that it is the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) that approves constructions in the city, not the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation. He was speaking to the media outside the Supreme Court registry on Thursday.
Wahab said that anti-encroachment operations against illegal structures were frequently conducted in the city. He mentioned that soft encroachments were regularly cleared from different streets in the city, but they tended to reappear.
Permanent encroachments, such as structures on Gujjar Nullah, Orangi Nullah, and Mehmoodabad Nullah, had been removed and the space had been cleared, he added. Regarding illegal buildings, the mayor clarified that they are not temporary encroachments but permanent structures, and whenever they are instructed to remove them, the KMC complies. When asked who permits the construction of illegal buildings, the mayor did not provide a specific answer, only stating that many people were responsible for such constructions.
He explained that the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) regulates buildings in the city, and the KMC does not approve building layout plans. In response to a question about illegal hydrants in the city, he stated that over the past six months, more than illegal hydrants had been removed by the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC).
Meanwhile, the deputy mayor of Karachi, Salman Abdullah Murad, visited various markets and commercial areas on MA Jinnah Road to oversee an ongoing grand operation to eliminate encroachments.
He reviewed the actions taken to remove encroachments in these areas. Senior Director Anti-Encroachment Department Imran Rajput briefed him on the operation. He said that coordination had been made with the deputy commissioner of District South and the DIG Traffic to ensure a smooth traffic flow during the operation and to avoid any untoward incidents.
The deputy mayor emphasized the importance of coordinating with all relevant authorities to streamline the operation and enhance its effectiveness. He said that encroachments block roads and sidewalks, causing difficulties for residents and particularly impacting densely populated business centers. He stressed the need to complete the operation as soon as possible to provide relief to the citizens.