ISLAMABAD, May 8: The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Karachi Building Control Authority to process within two weeks an application seeking regularization of M.R. 3 Market Quarters Karachi, tacitly staying the order of the Sindh High Court to demolish the building, comprising 130 shops, situated in a busy commercial area.

The Bench of the Supreme Court, which heard the case, was headed by the Chief Justice, Mr Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and comprised Justice Saiyed Saeed Ashhad and Justice Hamid Ali Mirza.

Sheikh Abdul Mannan and several other petitioners through former deputy attorney general and senior lawyer M. Bilal had invoked appellant jurisdiction of the Apex Court, questioning the Sindh High Court's decision of April 20 to demolish the building, on the plea that it was a case of hardship and public interest involving livelihood of 130 families.

It was pointed out that an amount of over Rs 200,000 had been received by the Karachi Building Control Authority as scrutiny fee to start the process of regularization.

It was argued that the building cannot be demolished as applications seeking regularization of shops were pending before the Karachi Building Control Authority.

The Sindh High Court, ordering demolition of the building, had held that the effect of order will remain suspended for two weeks observing that some respondents might like to approach the Supreme Court.