Supreme Court questions govt’s policy on conversion of residential land to commercial

KARACHI: The Supreme Court on Friday questioned the Sindh government’s policy with regard to conversion of residential land for commercial purposes in different parts of the city and observed that how 178 residential localities of the city could be allowed to be converted for commercial purposes through town planning regulations.

Hearing an application of marriage halls owners with regard to conversion of residential plots for commercial purposes in Korangi Township area, the SC’s three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed, observed that the entire city has been declared commercial through amendments in town planning regulations.

The court observed that unbridled powers could not be allowed for conversion of residential schemes into commercial and it has to be examined as whether the entire master plan of the scheme has been changed or not prior to granting such permission.

Marriage hall owner Anwar Mansoor Khan submitted that conversion has been applied after fulfilling all the codal formalities under the town planning regulations. He submitted that various roads of the city, including Tariq Road, Ziauddin Road, Clifton, have been allowed to be converted from residential to commercial time to time by the Karachi administration and requested the court to allow the marriage hall owners to use their residential units for marriage hall purposes. The court after hearing the arguments of the counsel reserved the order on the application.