KARACHI, April 19: The Sindh High Court on Thursday imposed Rs25,000 as costs on a petitioner society which falsified information to seek action against a builder and the Karachi Building Control Authority.

A non-governmental organisation moved a petition alleging that a multi-storied commercial structure was being raised on a residential plot (No A-40, Block 13-D, Gulshan-i-Iqbal). A division bench comprising Justices Amir Hani Muslim and Mrs Yasmin Abbasy sought a report to ascertain the correct position. It transpired that a ground-plus-one floor bungalow was approved for the residential plot by the KBCA in 1999. A bungalow has been constructed in accordance with the plan and there was no violation involved. There was no multi-storied structure or commercial complex on the plot.

Awarding the costs in favour of the owner of the bungalow, the bench ordered that the petitioner society would not move a new petition without paying the costs.

The bench also directed the chief controller of buildings to submit a report in respect of residential plot number B-20, Block 13-A, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, which, according to another NGO has been commercialised by the builder.

According to the petitioner society, 54 shops have been built on the plot. A report submitted by a deputy controller of buildings was found to be inadequate and the bench asked the CCOB to explain the correct position.

BALOCH COLONY PS: Justice Zawwar Hussain Jaffery, meanwhile, directed the DIG (Operations) and the Jamshed Town police officer to answer the allegation that the police force had illegally occupied a 1000-square-yard plot in Baloch Colony and raised unauthorised construction on it.

The owner of the plot submitted through Advocate Faiz H. Shah that he was being harassed by police to relinquish his ownership rights over the plot, which had been unlawfully occupied.