KARACHI, Sept 29 Illegal construction is going on at full speed in at least 100 under-construction buildings either with the connivance, or owing to criminal negligence, of the Karachi Building Control Authority officials, it has been learnt.

According to sources, these builders were involved in serious illegalities like building more floors than approved, or even carrying out construction without even getting the mandatory approval from the KBCA.

The KBCA, which approves the building plans and is responsible for ensuring that the buildings are built according to approved plans, on its part maintains that besides KBCA officials, police, area toughs and some other non-governmental actors are involved in the illegalities that generate billions of rupees for the builders' mafia that distributes a small portion of it to people in or outside the government who could protect their illegal actions.

The KBCA chief said that since the issue was very complicated and various influential stakeholders were involved, he would approach the provincial chief executive so that with his approval stern action could be taken against the powerful builders' mafia.

The sources said that since these buildings were still under construction, it was a right time to carry out the demolition action. Once the buildings were completed, the builders' mafia would bring forward the “widows and orphans” who have purchased the properties in the illegal buildings. They try to create third party interest on the one hand and play with the sentiments of the people, on the other, to prevent the government agencies from taking demolition action, which sometimes also leads to law and order situation.

The sources said a stronghold of the ruling political party, Lyari Town, topped the list with 45 buildings in which more floors than the approved ones were being constructed. In 17 such buildings, out of the above 45, even courts had ordered the KBCA to demolish the illegal construction, but no action had been taken.

The influence of the powerful builders' mafia operating in Lyari could be gauged from the fact that the builders of 21 buildings, out of these 45, have not even bothered to get the approval of their buildings plans but have raised illegal constructions between five and seven floors while the regulators and the law enforcers remained idle either owing to threats, political pressure, or in return of financial gains.

They said Lyari was closely followed by Saddar Town, where 33 buildings with illegal floors were being constructed at a fast pace. Liaquatabad, a stronghold of a coalition partner in the government, comes third with 14 buildings in which illegal floors were under construction. Illegal construction is relatively less common in other towns such as Gulshan, Gulberg, North Nazimabad, Bin Qasim etc.

Lyari Town

The numbers of the 21 plots on which the builders have not even bothered to get the mandatory approval for their building plans from the KBCA are 1360 Khadda; AK 1-8S, 2D Moghal Apartment, Liaquat Colony; 118/2 Street 11, Al-Falah Road, Bihar Colony; 118/3 Street 11, Al-Falah Road, Bihar Colony; 195/2 Street 20, H Road, Bihar Colony; 46G, Al-Falah Road, Bihar Colony; 67/2 Fishermen Society, Khadda; 12/17 LY, Mauripur, Lyari; Opp Plot No 186/4 Markert Road, Lyari; Adjacent to plot No 166/1 H Road, Bihar Colony; 313 Street, 6 E, opposite Allama Iqbal School, Lyari; 89 Bihar Colony, Lyari; L 22/14 Street 16F, Agra Taj Colony, Lyari; 2477 Kalri Near Juna Masjid Road, Lyari; 110 Street 19 E, Hanfia Masjid Road, Agra Taj Colony, Lyari; 96 Abdullah Manzil, Street 1, Khadda Market, Lyari; 1,599 Khadda; 878 & 173 Fishermen Society, Khadda; 10/91 Moosa Lane; 61 LY -12 Lyari; and 1,594 Khadda, Lyari.

Plot numbers of buildings where illegal construction — more than the approved floors — was going on in Lyari Town are 282-283 Musa Lane; 280, 235, 237, 238 Mira Pir in Musa Lane; 108 LY 10 Musa Lane; 108 LY 10 Musa Lane; 124/3 Bihar Colony (560 new number); 46 Mauripur Road, Khadda; 54 Mauripur Road, Khadda; 99 Mauripur Road, Khadda; 156/2 H Road, Bihar Colony, Lyari; 956 Street 19, Jamia Masjid, Lyari; 327 Street 7, A Road, Lyari; 1353 Street 12, Khadda market, Lyari; 2674 Street 16, Nawabad, Lyari; 227 Street 17-E, Agra Taj Colony, Lyari; LY 7/33/1 Lyari Quarters; LY 12/64 DD Chaudhry Road, Lea Market, Lyari; LY 12/3 Moosa Lane; LY 7/18 Moosa Lane; 11/14 Moosa Lane; 1,608 Nawabad; 31 LY 11 Moosa Lane; 174, 174A, 175,175A Khadda Market, Lyari; 26 Lea 3, Lyari; 191, 192 Agra Taj Colony, Lyari.

Saddar Town

The plot numbers of the buildings where builders have not even bothered to get the mandatory approval of the building plans from the KBCA are 12/4 RS 11; 5/2/2 LR 7; 24 LR 9; 19 LR 10; 63 OT 1; and 74 RS 2. The numbers of the plots on which buildings with more floors than the approved ones in Saddar Town are being built are 62/2 HV 2; 35(part)rc3; 394 and 396 RC 4; 6 Garden West; 21 Garden West; 128 Garden West; 1,206 Jinnahabad; 1,764 Jinnahabad 3; 9 (G6) LR 7; 8NP4; 24NP5; 51NP5; 8/2D GK2; 3GK3; 28GK3; 87GK7; 4GK7; 7OT1; 43OT8; 174RS2; 37RS4; 61MR5; 89MR5; 33BR1; 40SR; 112LR19; and 53WO2.

Liaquatabad Town

The numbers of the plots on which illegal constructions are being carried out are 49 IIIB Nazimabad; 12/8 IIIF Nazimabad; 2/24 III A, Nazimabad; 4/22 III B, Nazimabad; 7/1 III C Nazimabad; 7/11 III H Nazimabad; 5/17 III F Nazimabad; 28/57 III B, Nazimabad; 12/28 III F, Nazimabad; 2/5 III F Nazimabad; 10/20 III G Nazimabad; 1/2 III G Nazimabad; 6/12 Firdous CHS; and 44/26 B 1 Area, Liaquatabad.

Gulshan Town (II)

The numbers of the plots on which illegal constructions are being carried out are 484/C Block 7&8, Adamjee Nagar, Kathiawar CHS; SC 37, Chandni Chowk; J174 PIB Colony; 2264 PIB Colony; VC8/15 in Nazimabad in North Nazimabad Town; WSA 1 B1-14, F. B Area and WSA 6, Block 14 in F. B Area in Gulberg Town; Survey number 47 Sector 19/A Shah Latif Town (Mateen Complex) in Bin Qasim Town.

Responding to Dawn queries, KBCA chief controller Manzoor Qadir said that while illegal construction was going on in a large number of buildings, a large number of these being completed as well as occupied, these 100 buildings had been short-listed as these were still under construction and the violation — construction of unauthorised floors — was of a serious nature, so it would be easier to demolish them. He said the KBCA with the list of illegal buildings had earlier approached Sindh Local Bodies Minister Agha Siraj Durrani, who had already approved the proposal, and now Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah was being approached so that with his approval and backing police force, presence of which was a must during demolition, would be ensured. He said that once the demolition was started, it could act as a deterrent for other notorious builders.

He also said that various civic / utility agencies were providing their services — water, gas, electricity, telephone, etc — to many of the illegally constructed buildings and this time through the chief minister the KBCA was seeking that the civic agencies be directed that they should not provide services to the illegal buildings and even the sub-registrars be directed that they should not register the leases or sale/purchase agreements of the properties relating to illegally constructed buildings, and that they should ensure that the KBCA had issued the completion certificate for these buildings.