THIS is apropos of your editorial, 'Illegal construction' (Dec 27), wherein you have rightly said that demolishing illegal highrise buildings in Lahore though a right step, it is not only the guilty who will feel its effects.

During the last two decades a cartel of builders/land mafia, with patronage of corrupt officials, has emerged. Over a period of time it has earned immense riches, and made inroads into the corridors of power.

Because of high connections, they always get away with whatever illegality they commit. They violate by-laws of construction as they know that by paying minor penalties their wrongs will be accepted as right.

It is they who determine the price of land. Skyhigh escalation in the land cost during the previous regime was one such example where, with the connivance of the then prime minister, Shaukat Aziz, and stock broker mafia, they were able to become multi-billionaire overnight.

This is for the first time in our history that illegal construction, instead of being legalised, is being demolished under the orders of the apex court. Although demolition will cause loss to those who had booked flats and shops in those buildings, yet such a step will help deter illegalities in future as prospective buyers will be careful while purchasing such properties.

In Karachi's Bath Island, according to building by-laws, one cannot construct more than a ground plus one storey. But here multi-storey flats are being constructed, and they are up to nine storeys .

Since the price of a flat is between Rs15m and 25m, the builders by adding one storey earn extra millions. If such activities are not stopped forthwith, time is not far when this small locality with limited number of civic amenities will be a jungle of flats.

I fully agree with you that under these circumstances taking action against the construction mafia is a giant step towards ensuring that rules are not there to violate.

Those who collaborated with such builders also need to be taken to task at the right earnest.

Through these columns I would like to make a prayer to the Chief Justice of Pakistan to issue a similar order against illegal construction in Bath Island.

IMTIAZ SOLANGI
Karachi