Karachi high-rises: SC allows construction beyond six floors

KARACHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday withdrew its order banning high-rise constructions beyond six floors in the metropolis.

A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJ) Justice Mian Saqib Nisar heard a petition filed by the Association of Builders and Developers (ABD) against the ban on high-rise constructions at the SC’s Karachi Registry, reports Geo.

After a brief hearing, the apex court withdrew its order banning high-rise constructions beyond six floors and simultaneously directed constructions to continue as per law in the city. “As per the Sindh Building Control Authority laws, high-rise buildings can be constructed,” the bench stated.

Further, Justice Nisar remarked, “Along with the industry Bahria Town will also benefit.” Six months ago, the Supreme Court had banned high-rise constructions beyond six floors in Karachi.

Speaking to the media outside the SC Karachi Registry following the order, the ABAD delegation said, “The court has withdrawn the ban that was placed two years ago. Now, buildings will be constructed as per the law.” “Over 500 projects and investment worth Rs1,000 billion had been stopped owing to the ban,” they added.

Meanwhile, addressing the inaugural ceremony of a new building at the Karachi Registry, the chief justice said the country might face severe water scarcity by 2025 if necessary pre-emptive measures were not taken on an immediate basis. Justice Nisar said he came up with the plan of construction of Diamer-Bhasha Dam after seeing the decreasing water table in Quetta and Karachi. "When we made a commission on water, we came to know that there exists a water mafia in the city," he said. "We can address the issue with better management. Our eight-month-year-old initiative is yielding results."

The chief justice said mineral water companies were using as much as seven billion gallons of water adding that very soon Rs1/litre tax will be imposed on the water companies. "Earlier there were zero charges on the companies. But with the imposition of taxes, we can generate taxes worth billions of rupees for the dams fund," the chief justice said.

Justice Nisar said in the next 30 years, the country's population could go up to 450 million. He said the situation demanded immediate institutional reforms in the country.

Meanwhile, hearing a petition against the ongoing anti-encroachment drive in the metropolis, the chief justice rejected the Sindh government’s petition to stop Mayor Waseem Akhtar from carrying out the anti-encroachment drive and directed the provincial government to resolve the matter with the civil administration. A three-judge bench, headed by the chief justice, heard the case.

As the hearing went under way, the chief justice remarked, “We had asked for the Empress Market to be made into a model and had not issued an order at the time. The work was initiated by the Karachi mayor on his own.”

“The order to clear footpaths and roads was clear. There was chaos following our order but we cannot end the writ of the state if people start protesting. Should we leave these illegal encroachers? People have illegally occupied official residences,” he added.

Further, the top judge said, “We want to make Karachi better but your vested interests are creating hurdles.”

At this, the Sindh advocate general requested the court to bar the Karachi mayor from carrying out the anti-encroachment drive for four weeks. “The mayor is speedily razing encroachments,” he added. However, the chief justice remarked, “Why should we stop him? You both should sit together and decide.”

The court then sought a report from the Karachi mayor on the anti-encroachment drive today. Speaking to the media after the hearing, Mayor Waseem Akhtar said, "The court has given time to Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), federal and Sindh government to sit together and submit a report by 8:30am tomorrow."