Naeemul Haq against SC order of razing ‘illegal’ Karachi buildings

ISLAMABAD: After PPP and MQM-P, senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader has also spoken up against the Supreme Court orders of razing buildings built in violation of laws saying ‘demolishing them would create a big disaster’.

Prime Minister Imran Khan’s close aide and advisor Naeemul Haq on Sunday requested the apex court to review its decision to demolish buildings which were constructed illegally and have been in use for years providing employment to thousands.

“Instead a fine can or should be imposed on the builders/ developers. Demolishing them would create a big disaster,” Haq suggested.

The SC on January 22 barred the use of residential houses for commercial purposes. "Wedding halls, shopping malls and plazas will not be constructed on residential plots," the SC Karachi Registry ordered.

Further, the court had ordered all encroachments across the metropolis should be immediately razed. “The buildings which are not part of the master plan should be demolished. The city should be restored to how it was 40 years ago. No matter how many buildings there are, they should be demolished," Justice Gulzar Ahmed had said.

Following the SC’s orders, the Sindh Building Control Authority sent notices to halt all commercial activities. According to officials, the SBCA is scheduled to begin its anti-encroachment operation from tomorrow (Monday).

After receiving the notices, members of the Karachi Marriage Halls Association staged a protest outside the SBCA’s office located in Civic Centre on Saturday. “We were given a three-day notice. Where are we supposed to work?” the protesters asked.

They also announced a strike and refused to entertain Sunday bookings sending shock waves across metropolis as hundreds of marriages were scheduled for today due to peak wedding season.

Later, after intervention of Sindh government the marriage halls owners call off strike.

Sindh Minister for Local Bodies, Saeed Ghani assured that no wedding hall will be demolished in the metropolis tomorrow (Monday).

Accompanied by Information and Law Adviser Murtaza Wahab, Ghani reiterated that he would not take any action against residential buildings as it could result in the worst type of humanitarian crisis in the city.

Meanwhile, Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar asked the Sindh government to file a review petition on the verdict of the Supreme Court ordering demolition of all wedding halls, plazas and shopping malls on residential lands.

While addressing a press conference, the Karachi mayor said that buildings including wedding halls, plazas and shopping malls do not lie under anti-encroachment law. Wasim Akhtar asked the provincial government not to demolish legal buildings and wedding halls located on residential lands.