KARACHI: The director general of the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) on Wednesday assured the Sindh High Court that the authority would take effective measures against illegal and unauthorised construction in the city.

The SBCA chief appeared in court and submitted that he would call a meeting of all directors and other officials within seven days for ensuring effective and robust steps to avoid illegal and unauthorised construction.

He also undertook to activate the vigilance department and teams of the SBCA to implement all the orders passed by the SHC in respect of illegal construction in the city.

A two-judge bench headed by Justice Nadeem Akhtar directed the SBCA chief to place on record a copy of the minutes of such meeting on the next hearing.

It gave him a final chance to make compliance of a court order regarding illegal construction in a Lyari locality by Nov 28.

The bench sought the final report of an inquiry committee, constituted in December last year, for ascertaining the names of delinquent officials who allowed or failed to stop illegal construction in their respective jurisdictions/areas.

The SHC has repeatedly been issuing directives to the SBCA on hundreds of petitions filed against illegal construction in different parts of the city but the authority remained unable to comply with court orders regarding demolition of structures built either illegally or in violation of approved building plans.

Published in Dawn, October 26th, 2023