KARACHI: Two days after the local government minister told a delegation of Association of Builders and Developers (Abad) about his plan to regularise illegal construction in the metropolis and other cities of the province, Caretaker Chief Minister retired Justice Maqbool Baqar on Wednesday made it clear that no such proposal was under consideration.

On Monday, a delegation of Abad had held a meeting with LG Minister Mubeen Jumani. During the meeting the minister had hinted at regularising all illegally constructed buildings in the province, including Karachi and said that he had also ordered the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) to conduct a complete survey of the illegal buildings where people were living and to submit a report.

Says there’s no ban on approval of maps, layout plans of residential, commercial buildings

According to a statement issued by the CM House on Wednesday, Justice Baqar said that “violation of building laws, rules and regulations by the SBCA or the builder(s) will not be tolerated”.

Against the backdrop of Minister Jumani’s Aug 24 directive to impose a complete ban on approval of all types of buildings, houses and commercial plazas across the province, the statement categorically announced that there was no ban on the approval of the plans for the construction of commercial and residential buildings.

The caretaker government would not place a ban or bar on approvals of the layout plans of residential and commercial buildings, he declared.

He also directed the SBCA to encourage legal construction and simplify the procedure.

Meanwhile, the local government minister on Wednesday said in a statement that the ban on all residential and commercial building layouts had been lifted.

Published in Dawn, August 31st, 2023