SBCA put on notice over plea against illegal constructions in North Nazimabad

The Sindh High Court (SHC) has issued notices to the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA), District Central deputy commissioner and others on a petition against illegal constructions in the North Nazimabad area.

Ghulam Mustafa and others had submitted in the petition that SBCA officials were allowing construction of high rise buildings and shopping malls, and conversion of residential land into commercial land in North Nazimabad Block B in violation of the building plan and other by-laws.

They submitted that they had moved an application to the relevant authorities against the private builders for raising high rise constructions in the residential area without approval of the building plan. They said that private respondents had illegally converted KDA plots into Khando Goth KMC and issued illegal and forged lease in their names. They alleged that private respondents had illegally occupied 50 feet of a road and started constructions there.

Their counsel submitted that Katchi Abadi land director was asked for stopping illegal construction in the land in question but no action was taken in this regard. He said the original master plan of the area had been changed due to illegal construction of a godown, shopping plaza and shops by private respondents. He said all such illegal constructions and encroachment of public road had been allowed by official functionaries of the SBCA and local government.

The high court was requested to direct the SBCA, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation and others to restrain the private builders from raising illegal constructions on the KDA land.

The petitioners also sought cancellation of the forged leased issued in favour of the private respondents by the Sindh Katchi Abadi Authority and order a departmental inquiry over issuance of such a lease by the authority. A division bench of the high court headed by Justice Adnan Iqbal Chaudhry after the preliminary hearing of the petition issued notices to the advocate general, SBCA, Sindh Katchi Abdi Authority director and others to file comments.

Quashing of FIR

The SHC issued notices to the Sindh inspector general of police Sindh and others on a plea seeking quashing of an FIR in a freewill marriage case.

The petitioner, Wazir Jokhio, had submitted that he married Zohra against the consent of her family, as a result of which his wife’s family registered a kidnapping case against him and other family members.

The petitioner’s counsel, Naila Tabasum, said police were harassing the petitioner and other family members. She said the woman had been sent to a shelter home by a judicial magistrate when she refused to go with her parents.

She requested the high court to quash the criminal proceedings against the petitioner and other family members and allow the girl to live with her spouse.