KARACHI, Dec 13: The Sindh High Court asked the provincial chief secretary on Thursday to submit a report on a proposal stipulating transfer of demolition of unauthorised buildings to the respective town administrations.

The proposal was mooted by Additional Advocate-General Sarwar Khan, who said a large number of cases for and against demolition were pending in the high court. The Karachi Building Control Authority (KBCA) was unable to comply with court orders because of the lack of police and magisterial powers and want of police co-operation.

If the demolition work was transferred to the town municipal administrations, there would be fewer complaints of slackness, shortage of resources and non-compliance with court orders.

A division bench comprising Justices Munib Ahmed Khan and Rana M. Shamim, which has already directed the chief secretary to convene a meeting of the representatives of the public utilities like the Karachi Electricity Supply Corporation (KESC), the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB), the Sui Southern Gas Pipeline Corporation (SSGPC) and the Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) to consider an across the board ban on the sanction of connections to unauthorised buildings, asked him to consider the new proposal. The chief secretary was directed to submit his report on the proposal on the next date of hearing in Jan 2008.

The bench was hearing a petition moved by the non-governmental organisation, Karachi Helpline, against construction of an illegal structure on plot number Lee-3/26, Lea Market, Lyari.

Three additional floors were added to the building in violation of the building rules and regulations and the sanctioned plan. The KBCA and police were accused of complicity with the offending builder. The bench issued a bailable warrant for the arrest of the builder but the town police officer reported on Thursday that the builder was absconding.

The bench ordered the TPO to arrest the builder straightaway and produce him on the next date.

The KBCA deputy controller of buildings posted in Lyari at the time of gross violation of the building code in his remit submitted a statement trying to explain away his conduct. The bench brought the statement on record for consideration on the next date. Advocates Shahid Jamil Khan and Abdul Jabbar Korai appeared for the KBCA and the petitioner NGO, respectively.