Commissioner tells SBCA to raze all illegal under-construction buildings

Karachi Commissioner Iftikhar Shallwani has directed the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) to remove all illegal under-construction buildings and to get structures in a dilapidated condition vacated for the safety of the occupants.

He was chairing a meeting at his office on Thursday to review the actions taken in pursuance of the Supreme Court orders for the removal of illegal and hazardous buildings, including those converted from residential to commercial.

The meeting was attended among others by Director General SBCA Ashkar Dawer, Deputy Commissioner East Ahmed Ali Siddiqui, Deputy Commissioner South Irshad Ali, nongovernmental organisation Shehri representative Amber Ali Bhai, former Association of Builders and Developers (Abad) chairman Hasan Bakhsi, and officials of district administrations.

The SBCA director general briefed the meeting about the efforts being made for the vacation and demolition of dangerous buildings and illegal under-construction buildings. He said a survey of the SBCA had been completed and action for the demolition of illegal buildings was under way.

He also told the meeting about the occupation of buildings which were in a dilapidated state, and that notices had been served on the occupants but they were avoiding to vacate. According to a press statement from the commissioner office, the commissioner said that concrete actions were required for the implementation of the Supreme Court orders. He said priority should be given to the implementation of the apex court orders for actions to be taken against buildings in a dilapidated condition as well as the illegal under-construction buildings.

It was decided in the meeting that SBCA would take immediate action for the removal of illegal under construction buildings and for the vacation of dilapidated buildings. All deputy commissioners were asked to submit reports on the actions taken in the matter to the commissioner in a week.