24 April 2004	Saturday	03 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425

KARACHI, April 23: Nazims of various union councils of the city have strongly condemned the alleged illegal demolition activities of the Karachi Building Control Authority.

Eighteen UC nazims, speaking at a joint press conference on Friday alleged that the authority had become a 'mafia.'

"First, the officers of KBCA allow illegal construction activities after receiving hefty amounts in bribe and deliberately avoid taking any action despite complaints by masses and elected representatives. They take action only when builders complete their projects and sell out flats and shops," they claimed.

"The poor people, who have purchased flats and shops, spending savings of their whole lives, are then forced to pay large amounts to the KBCA officers, in order to retain roof over their heads. The most recent incidents have occurred in Hussainabad and Dhoraji," the UC nazims added.

They said the Building Control Authority had turned the city into a jungle of illegal constructions. They said that problems were created due to non-devolution of the KBCA in the city government, alleging that the people in the authority were using some court judgements as cover for their illegal activities.

The nazims said the KBCA was not ready to give importance to the elected representatives. They demanded of the Sindh government to immediately devolve the KBCA in the city government, stop illegal constructions and those patronizing such activities be dismissed and jailed.

The UC nazims present on the occasion were, Muhammad Junaid, Zahid Saeed, Imran Saeed Baghpati, Owais Jamal, Amir Ilyas, Farhan Sohail, Muhammad Wahid, Shafi Ahmad, Nasir Ansari, Saadat Ali, Nasim Ahmad, Qazi Sadaruddin, Manzoor, Saadat Ibrahim, Dr Asad Siddiqui, Dr Mubin Akhter and Shahid Raza. -PPI