SHC tells govt to make interim replacement if SBCA DG is not qualified for post

The Sindh High Court (SHC) has directed the provincial government to make an interim arrangement if the present director general of the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) is not qualified to meet the criteria for the post.

The direction came on a petition against the appointment of the SBCA director general. The petitioner, Tariq Mansoor, challenged the impugned notification of the appointment of the SBCA DG, a post which he said is purely a technical whereas the respondent is an officer of PSS (BS-20) having prima facie no required technical qualifications and education as per set criteria.

He submitted that the respondent has reportedly neither any required technical education, qualification nor any technical expertise as required therein the SBCA (Recruitment) Regulations, 2016, which is prima facie as well as ex-facie in blatant violation and willful negligence of mandatory provisions to be followed for the appointment to the subject post.

The petitioner said the SBCA is a specialized body, which looks after the entire province, its 32 districts and six divisions, almost entire buildings and their approvals, area town planning, permits, NOCs, demolition, construction of buildings, public sale projects’ approvals, change of land use, zoning regulations, dangerous buildings, heritage buildings conservations, high-rise buildings, which need technical expertise and qualification and registration for having a sound mechanism.

He requested the court to declare that the appointment of the SBCA chief is unlawful and in violation of the SBCA’s regulations. He also requested a review to ensure that all appointments, either to technical or non-technical posts, as well as in the master plan department be made in accordance with the law.

After the preliminary hearing of the petition, an SHC division bench headed by Justice Mohammad Faisal Kamal Alam issued notices to the SBCA and others and called their comments on May 30. The court also issued a notice to the Sindh government to make an interim arrangement if the present DG SBCA is not qualified for the post.