KARACHI: The authorities concerned informed the Sindh High Court on Thursday that comprehensive proceedings were being initiated to address illegal utilisation of residential premises in the city.

The officials of the Karachi Development Authority (KDA) and the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) also submitted that an awareness campaign was also being planned to encourage citizens to submit complaints about such illegal activities directly to the institution concerned.

The directors general of KDA and the SBCA assured the SHC that immediate action was in process on the complaints after a lawyer argued that 28 instances of illegal commercial operations upon residential property had been provided to the SBCA/KDA, but no action was taken.

A two-judge constitutional bench of the SHC, headed by Justice Agha Faisal, was hearing a set of petitions filed against a private school operating at a residential locality in Clifton.

Authorities say awareness campaign planned to encourage citizens to submit complaints against unlawful activities

Earlier, the bench had issued warrants and notices to the officials on contempt applications for not complying with earlier court orders to remove commercial activities from the residential area in question.

At the outset of the hearing on Thursday, DG SBCA Ishaque Khuhro turned up and filed a report while the DG KDA Altaf Gohar and former DG Rasheed Solangi were also in attendance.

They informed the bench that their respective departments were initiating comprehensive proceedings to address illegal utilisation of residential premises within their domains and these proceedings will include immediate issuance of notices to anybody found in violation of law and commensurate proceedings shall follow thereafter.

They also submitted that recourse to media was also being sought to encourage citizens to submit complaints about such illegal activities directly to the concerned authority. Thereafter, the bench directed the officials to file reports in this respect, detailing the progress of the respective department as aforesaid, which must be submitted on or before the next date with advance copy to the lawyers for petitioners.

Representing one of the petitioners, Arshad Tayebaly submitted that a list of 28 instances of illegal commercial operations upon residential property had been provided to the SBCA/KDA, but no action had been taken in that regard.

The DGs of KDA and SBCA assured the bench that immediate action in such regard was in the process and the progress will also be part of the reports to be filed at next the hearing.

The DG SBCA also filed a compliance report regarding earlier court orders and the bench discharged the contempt notices and warrants issued earlier against the officials concerned including Mr Solangi.

Adjourning the hearing till March 20, the bench directed the officers of respective departments to ensure their presence at the next hearing to assist it.

Meanwhile, the same bench on Thursday disposed of a petition filed against a known travel agency and a restaurant operating in a residential property in Clifton after the respondents filed compliance reports.

The DGs of SBCA and KDA and their lawyers for other respondents undertook to ensure that the subject residential property will not be used for any illegal/unsanctioned purpose or for any purpose contrary to the terms of its allotment/lease.

At the last hearing, the bench had issued warrants for the arrest of directors general of the KDA and the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) as well as the owners of the travel agency and a restaurant in a contempt of court application for failing to complying with its order about stopping commercial activities in the subject property.

The bench also discharged the contempt notices and warrants issued earlier.

Published in Dawn, February 28th, 2025