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KARACHI, Oct 26: The Sindh High Court forbade on Wednesday use of an apartment in an exclusively residential building in Clifton for commercial purposes. Advocate Mahfooz Yar Khan complained that he was a resident owner of a first floor flat in IBA Apartments complex in Block 5 of Clifton. The lessee of the flat right below on the ground flat has opened an estate agency and tried to demolish the boundary wall of the complex in front of his flat to gain direct access to the road and detach it from the rest of the building horizontally. He said the lessee’s action was in violation of the law and building rules and regulations.
Appearing for the respondent lessee, Advocate Anwar Mansoor Khan submitted that his client has obtained a no-objection certificate from the Karachi Building Control Authority for conversion of the residential flat into commercial premises. The petitioner-lawyer countered that a single flat in a purely residential complex could not be converted and put to commercial use. The residents of adjoining flats had a right to enjoy their property undisturbed.
A division bench, comprising Justices Mushir Alam and Syed Zawwar Hussain Jaffery, issued the city district government a notice to explain whether one flat in a residential building could be allowed conversion and restrained the respondent from starting commercial activity on the premises in the meanwhile.
INQUIRY REQUESTED: The provincial government has requested the SHC to appoint a judicial officer to conduct a probe into the April 11 incident at the Brenton Carey Girls Hostel, Holy Trinity Church compound, Abdullah Haroon Road, Additional Advocate-General M. Ahmed Pirzada informed another division bench comprising Justices Ghulam Rabbani and Munib Ahmed Khan.
The AAG agreed with petitioner Ghazala Shafiq, former administrator, that the police department held an inquiry but asserted that it was not obliged to make the report public.
Advocate Khwaja Naveed Ahmed said the petitioner was stripped naked by the hirelings of a bishop, who wanted her ouster as hostel administrator, with the help of police. Some inmates who came to her help were also maltreated but the police registered a case against them and refused to record their complaint.
The bench asked the police not to harass the petitioner and the AAG assured it that no police official would be allowed to take the law into his hands.
PETITIONS DISPOSED OF: The bench disposed of two petitions moved by property dealer Abdul Hafeez Shoro against the chief minister and the National Accountability Bureau. He said he was a co-accused in the cases registered against former revenue minister Imtiaz Ahmed Shaikh and was being harassed by the police and the anti-corruption establishment.
AAG Ahmed Pirzada assured the court that the petitioner would be dealt with strictly in accordance with the law. The petitioner sought to withdraw his petitions after the assurance and the bench dismissed them as withdrawn.
PLEA DISMISSED: The Sindh High Court on Wednesday dismissed petitions filed by Mr Abdul Hafeez Shoro, an estate agent, against his harassment after withdrawal by petitioner’s counsel, PPI adds.
Provincial law officer assured the court that the petitioner shall not be harassed and any action shall be taken in accordance with the law. After statement by the state counsel, the petitioner counsel did not press the petitions and desired to withdraw the same.
SHC’s division bench, comprising Justice Ghulam Rabbani and Justice Munib Ahmed Khan, dismissed petitions as not pressed by the petitioner.
