KARACHI, Sept 15: The conversion of residential units into apartment buildings and shops continues unabated in different residential areas of the city in general, and PECHS Block 2 in particular, thus usurping the rights to privacy of the residents of the affected localities.

Though the owners of such commercial ventures are openly flouting the rules pertaining to compulsory open space (COS) and raising unauthorized floors, the officials concerned of both the KBCA and the town administrations’ seem least interested in taking any action against such persons.

In some of those cases where KBCA officials were approached by concerned citizens for bringing a halt to such grave violations of building rules, the officials of the KBCA either showed reluctance in taking action against such buildings, or merely undertook cosmetic demolition of unlawfully constructed buildings.

Citing an instance of such a cosmetic demolition on the part of the KBCA officials, residents of PECHS Block 2 deplored that when they lodged a complain about an under-construction building being illegally constructed on Plot No 65-G, near Khalid Bin Waleed Road, the assistant controller buildings (ACB) concerned visited the building’s site in the first week of September and only removed its side walls.

“But since the KBCA officials have not demolished the illegally constructed beam and its pillars, the owner of the building once again started raising walls at a faster pace,” the residents said, adding that “when we again complained to the concerned ACB about such illegal construction, the official, instead of taking action against the building, harassed and threatened us of dire consequences in the presence of owner, members of (the) demolition team and policemen, while sitting in the premises of the building.”

Getting perturbed over the situation, they demanded of the KBCAs chief controller of buildings to depute some senior officer to inquire into the matter for taking proper action.