HYDERABAD, Feb 8: The Hyderabad circuit bench of the Sindh High Court on Thursday restrained the owners of six commercial projects from constructing any further and stopped the Oversee Committee (OSC) of the Hyderabad Development Authority (HDA) from processing or granting permission for the construction of any building.

A division bench comprising Justice Mohammad Moosa K. Leghari and Justice Sajjad Ali Shah passed the order on a public interest litigation filed by Ikramuddin alias Guddu, general secretary of Hyderabad Electronics Dealers Association, questioning the construction of high-rise buildings and pointing out the projects, which he had charged, had been erected in violation of building by-laws.

The court had ordered the Additional Advocate General (AAG) Sindh Masood A. Noorani on December 12, 2006 to inspect the projects and submit a report.

The court noted that the AAG’s report needed a thorough examination but it had laid it bare that grave violations of building by-laws had been committed in the construction of high-rise buildings referred to in the public interest litigation.

The court observed that the primary purpose of the oversee committee was to supervise the Building Control Authority but it later undertook the functions of the authority as it started granting approvals and permissions for construction of buildings.

The court asked the builders to deposit Rs25,000 each with additional registrar.—BoC