KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday issued notices to the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) on an application filed by residents and shop owners of a building in Kharadar that had been sealed and declared “dangerous”.

The petitioners — residents and shopkeepers of Hajra Manzil, located in the Old Town Quarter (Kharadar) — challenged an impugned order of the SBCA’s technical committee on dangerous buildings, under which the premises had been sealed and declared “dangerous”.

After a preliminary hearing, a two-judge bench headed by Justice Muhammad Faisal Kamal Alam on Monday issued notices to the SBCA, the advocate general and others on a petition filed by residents and shop owners of a building in Kharadar that was sealed and declared “dangerous”.

The court directed the zonal commissioner of the SBCA to appear along with the relevant record, including the completion certificate of the building. The matter will be taken up along with two identical petitions on July 28.

Petitioners say eviction carried out without due process

The court reproduced its earlier direction, previously issued in identical petitions, ordering the respondents to immediately and expeditiously complete the required procedure and submit a comprehensive report. The court had ordered that the report must outline possible options — including the timeframe for repairs if the building is deemed salvageable, any alternative arrangements for the occupants, and, in case the building is to be restored as a heritage site, the proposed alternatives for those residing in or operating businesses within the structure.

The petition stated that on July 11, officials of the SBCA, accompanied by area police, forcefully evicted all residents and owners from the building and prevented them from retrieving their personal belongings. It added that the petitioners were currently living in tents along the roadside without access to their possessions or essential facilities.

The petitioners contended that the SBCA had issued two ejectment notices, both of which were merely pasted on the main gate of the building without any prior intimation to the occupants or owners.

Referring to the notice, the petitioners stated that it alleged the building was in a dilapidated and dangerous condition, beyond repair and unsafe for human habitation.

However, they argued that the notices were not supported by any technical report, structural assessment, or official inquiry, as required under the applicable laws and regulations.

“The unilateral pasting of notices on the building gate without due verification, without serving owners and without providing a hearing is in gross violation of the principles of natural justice, fair procedure and the petitioners’ fundamental rights under the Constitution,” it added.

Published in Dawn, July 22nd, 2025