KARACHI, March 3: The Sindh High Court ordered on Wednesday the inspection of a marriage hall to ascertain whether it was constructed on an industrial plot and had unlawfully been put to commercial use.

On a contempt application moved by the marriage hall owner, the court had on Feb 26 summoned the Karachi Building Control Authority chief executive to explain why the authority had resorted to partial demolition on Feb 21 and 22 despite an SHC order of Dec 18,2003, prescribing an elaborate procedure for the regularization of marriage halls set up in violation of the building laws.

By an ad interim order, Justice Mushir Alam also restrained the KBCA from further adverse action against the applicant and issued the authority a notice for March 9.

The KBCA moved an application for urgent hearing on Wednesday, which was granted. Its counsel, Shahid Jamil Khan, submitted that the interim order was obtained by the applicant, who is not the real owner of the marriage hall, by concealing facts.

The December 2003 order disposing of a suit by about 38 marriage hall owners, he said, was not open-ended and stipulated a timeframe for the regularization process in accordance with the law. The applicant or the real owner failed to apply for regularization in terms of the court order and the KBCA moved to take the sealing and demolition action as envisaged by it.

The marriage hall in question, the counsel stated, was constructed on an industrial plot (number ST 6-B, Block 14, Gulshan-i-Iqbal) meant for a 'roti' plant.

Measuring about 5,369 square yards, it now has a marriage hall, a banquet hall and a computer college on it. All three gates open on the same road and the structures were marked by other gross violations. No plan was got approved by the applicant, who runs the three concerns but was not the owner of the plot.

Justice Mushir Alam asked the SHC Nazir to inspect the site to ascertain the existence of the buildings as alleged, verify the title documents and the approved plan, if any, and submit a report before the next date of hearing, that is, March 9.

The applicant was barred from raising further construction or book fresh marriage functions in the meanwhile. The KBCA chief was exempted from personal appearance in the matter.

WHEAT GODOWNS: Justice Sarmad Jalal Osmany of the Sindh High Court on Wednesday directed the official assignee (OA) to deseal the wheat godowns of the Sindh government in Karachi, adds PPI.