ON Jan 22, 2019, Justice Gulzar Ahmed and Justice Sajjad Ali Shah had passed landmark orders that could have had a significant impact on Karachi’s future. An excerpt from the order reads: “There seems to be an epidemic in the city of wedding halls, shopping malls, petrol pumps/CNG stations.

Henceforth, that is from today, there is a complete ban on Master Plan Department of Sindh Building Control Authority [SBCA] or any other authority of the city government or government of Sindh, to allow change in the use of land. Conversion of residential houses and … shall not be allowed for commercial use. This complete ban shall apply all across Karachi city, including cantonment areas. SBCA or any other authority shall not approve any conversion, including pending ones. All conversions allowed by these authorities shall be reviewed and all efforts shall be made to ensure that the land which was originally provided in the master plan is restored to that status.”

Again, on Jan 24, 2019, the court made further observations thus: “The learned advocate-general of Sindh has made a statement that he is going to consult with all relevant authorities of the government of Sindh … for bringing the city of Karachi to its glory and will consult with all the top city planners as to how the existing buildings which may have to be removed will be removed, the people who are dislocated and displaced by such plans are rehabilitated.”

Thereafter, the SBCA issued a public notice to the effect that all pending cases of change of land use as well as no-objec- tion certificates (NOCs) on converted plots stood “rejected as unconsidered”.

Instead of observing and complying with the orders of the Supreme Court, the Cantonment Board Clifton (CBC) and others with the connivance of Karachi Development Authority (KDA) and the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) are approving building plans of high-rise buildings on such converted plots in blocks 8 and 9 in Clifton and other areas of Karachi.

Most of the building plans have been approved on service lanes measuring 20-25 feet.

It is earnestly hoped that the Supreme Court will take notice on its own of all such violations that have converted Karachi into nothing but a jungle of concrete. In case of an earthquake, only God knows what the fate of the metropolis will be.

Ghulam Arif Khan
Karachi

Published in Dawn, January 27th, 2024