December 22, 2008	Monday	Zilhaj 23, 1429

KARACHI, Dec 21: A builder, so influential that no official or NGO is willing to mention his name, is illegally constructing a couple of high-rise buildings in Bath Island’s residential area, it has been learnt.

Karachi Building Control Authority officials said no building plan for this particular construction had been approved by them, and the construction was illegal.

According to highly placed sources, the illegal construction has been going on at breakneck speed opposite the Gulshan-i-Faisal Cooperative Housing Society and along the Government Officers Residences in Bath Island for the past few weeks.

They said earlier there used to be one unit (ground plus one) bungalows, but a few weeks back a couple of these bungalows had been demolished and new construction started on the site. So far a ground plus four-storey structure has been built.

After the completion of these two blocks, three other such adjoining bungalows would be demolished and apartment blocks of ground plus four-storey buildings would be built.

They said that with the replacement of the bungalows with the apartments, which would bring a windfall for the notorious builder, the population density of the area would increase manifold, putting an additional stress on the already stretched-to-the-brink civic infrastructure, including electricity supply, water supply, drainage and roads, causing hardship to area residents.

A non-governmental organisation, Shehri, which highlights illegal construction issues, moves court against errant builders, organises seminars etc to create awareness among the masses about the menace, also did not know who the influential builder was. Responding to Dawn queries, Shehri’s Amber Alibhoy said they did not know who was carrying out the illegal construction but she felt that the KBCA people did know about the builder but were afraid of his influence so much that let alone taking any action against him, they were not even taking any names.

She added that by keeping quiet about the illegal construction, the KBCA was in fact abetting the crime and protecting the notorious builder.

KBCA in the dark

Responding to queries, the KBCA’s building controller concerned, Mumtaz Haider, said the area in question was within his jurisdiction, but said that building plans for the said construction were not submitted to the authority, so the question of granting approval did not arise.

“We do not even know if some construction was going on there, but now that you have mentioned it, I will depute my staff to survey and file a report, and I will give you a detailed reply in a day or two,” he said. But he did not answer subsequent queries by this reporter.

Responding to Dawn queries, KBCA chief Manzoor Qadir said that Bath Island was in the centre of the city and it was not possible for anybody to carry out any illegal construction there, as people living in the vicinity were well aware of the building laws and were vocal against illegal construction.

He said that after getting a report from his staff, he would give a detailed reply, which he did not give despite many attempts by this reporter.

A neighbour, Prof Mrs Asif Zia Akhtar, said she had approached the KBCA and Shehri, which otherwise was very vocal on such issues, but nobody was willing to raise a voice against this blatant violation of the building laws. She said if she did not get any response from any other government agency or the NGO, her last hope was to move the judiciary, which had recently made the KBCA demolish many illegal structures in the city.

She urged the Sindh chief justice to take suo motu action against the illegal construction in Bath Island.

The sources said the government agencies had lost moral authority to implement laws as they prosecute the common people but look the other way when the violator was an influential person or organisation.