KARACHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday expressed extreme annoyance at the Sindh Building Control Authority for failing to take action against illegal construction of buildings in the city and remarked that the SBCA should be closed, if it was not giving fruitful results.

Taking exception over the performance of SBCA and other civic departments, a two-judge bench of the apex court observed that the buildings of Sindh Assembly, Supreme Court and Sindh High Court would be illegally occupied one day, if the land grabbers’ mafia remained active and unchecked by the authorities.

Headed by Justice Gulzar Ahmed, the bench was hearing a petition regarding unauthorised construction on Evacuee Trust property in Lyari’s Moosa Lane.

The bench, which also comprised Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, asked the provincial government law officer why action was not being taken against people involved in illegal constructions on Evacuee Trust property.

According to the trust’s counsel, additional floors had been raised on ground-plus-one buildings in violation of the law.

The provincial government’s law officer informed the court that the construction contractor was arrested, but he was later released after obtaining bail from the SHC.

During the previous hearing, the bench had ordered the contractor’s arrest after the SBCA counsel informed the judges that a private builder constructed illegal portions on the evacuee property and sold it.

On Wednesday, the apex court came down hard on the SBCA over their failure in removal of unauthorised construction on the said land.

“SBCA officials keep their eyes closed against illegal construction. The SBCA should be closed, if it is not giving fruitful results,” Justice Gulzar said.

He went on to observe that there was heaps of illegal buildings in the city in general and in the Saddar area in particular, saying the builders use to flee after receiving amount in advance but there was nobody to take them to task.

Justice Gulzar also remarked that the provincial government was equally responsible in this regard.

Justice Shah noted that the persons who were earning Rs23,000 in the past had now become billionaires through malpractices.

Published in Dawn, March 15th, 2018