SHC orders disciplinary action against SBCA officials for filing fake demolition report

The Sindh High Court (SHC) has directed the Sindh Building Control Authority director general to take disciplinary action against SBCA officials who filed fake reports with regard to demolition of an unauthorised construction in Agra Taj Colony in the Lyari area on court orders.

The direction came on a petition of Mohammad Hussain who sought action against unauthorised multi-storey building in Agra Taj Colony.

A division bench of the SHC headed by Justice Zafar Ahmed Rajput observed that SBCA South Assistant Director Zeeshan Mirza had filed three reports in the case which stated that no third party interest had been created in the matter while a demolition squad had demolished the unauthorised constructions on the fourth and fifth floors.

The high court observed that the Nazir was appointed on request of the petitioner who stated in his report that the subject plot had ground-plus-six floors and it was a residential-cum-commercial building where eight shops had been constructed on the ground floor.

The high court observed that the Nazir’s report stated that the flats up to the fourth floor were found occupied by the families and no indication of any recent demolition had been found at the time of inspection.

The high court observed that the Nazir’s report disclosed that earlier reports filed by the SBCA official were false, manipulated and managed in order to mislead the court.

The SHC observed that during the time of the alleged illegal construction, Niaz Ali Lund was posted as an assistant director, Mohammad Javed as senior building inspector and Abdul Rasool as building inspector while a compliance report was filed by Assistant Director Zeeshan Mirza who was not posted in the area as per the official order.

The bench observed that prima facie, the SBCA officials provided an umbrella to private builders enabling them to carry out illegal and unauthorised construction on the subject plot.

The SHC directed the SBCA DG to initiate disciplinary proceedings against SBCA officials.

The high court also directed the Kalri SHO to submit CNIC copies of private builders along with the ownership document and also approach the South SSP for blocking their CNICs. The SHC ordered utility companies K-Electric, Sui Southern Gas Company and Karachi Water & Sewerage Corporation to disconnect power, gas and water connection to the unauthorised construction and sought a compliance report on the next hearing.