SC orders action against Nasla Tower building plan approvers

KARACHI: The Supreme Court Monday ordered authorities to take action against those officials who had issued the construction permit for the illegal 15-storey Nasla Tower in Karachi.

Hearing the Nasla Tower case, a two-member bench comprising Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed and Justice Qazi Mohammad Amin ordered the anti-corruption department to register a case against those involved in approving the building plan. The court directed the police to register a separate case against the officials. 

Read more:  How Nasla Tower’s plot grew from 780 to 1,121 sq yds in six decades

DIG East has been directed to take immediate action against the officials who had approved the Nasla Tower building plan and present the report to the SC.

The apex court has also ordered to seize the 780 square yards of the land Nasla Tower was constructed upon and directed the Sindh High Court's (SHC) official assignee to take possession of the land and stop its sale.

Expressing his annoyance over the slow pace of the demolition process, the chief justice asked, "Such a building is torn down within one hour in the world. What are you people doing?"

On this, Karachi Commissioner Iqbal Memon told the court that 400 labourers were working on the task, adding that five floors of the building have been demolished so far.

The apex court directed the Karachi commissioner to use all government resources and complete the demolishing of the building within one week.

At the outset of the hearing, the chief justice said that as per the commissioner’s report, the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) had given nod to the Nasla Tower building plan after receiving a bribe and ordered the Anti-Corruption Establishment’s director-general to register a case in this regard against the DG SBCA.

He maintained that the commissioner, in its report, had written that SBCA had tried to create obstacles in the demolition process of the multi-storey building.

SBCA DG replied that his department did not create any hindrance in the demolition of Nasla Tower and said that he will challenge the report.

Serving a contempt of court notice on SBCA DG, the chief justice said that the court would not allow any obstacle in the implementation of its orders. “If anyone is interfering, it is contempt of court,” he observed.