Staff Reporter
The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the removal of the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) Director General Zafar Ahsan while hearing a case regarding the removal of encroachments in Karachi and restoring the original face of the city. The court said that an “honest officer” should be appointed, adding that the Sindh chief secretary look into the matter personally and take legal action against officials who are found to be involved in corrupt practices. He also directed authorities to remove encroachments in Karachi within a week. The three-member bench of the apex court comprised Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed, Justice Faisal Arab and Justice Sajjad Ali Shah. While issuing the order, the court expelled SBCA Director (research) Mushtaq Soomro from the courtroom. “No one is allowed to exploit citizens,” the court declared. “This department of yours is very corrupt,” the court said to the Sindh advocate general. “I admit, but there are some honest officials as well,” the advocate general replied. During the proceedings, Justice Shah noted that “portions are being built after openly taking bribes, in every street, every block of Nazimabad”. “Construction is being done while government-owned cars are parked [outside],” he added. “This is the total destruction of the city of Karachi,” the chief justice remarked. The court also directed that petrol pumps and other structures built on the drain on Shahrah-i-Quaideen be removed. At the outset of the hearing, the Chief Justice had taken various officials to task for the condition of Karachi’s infrastructure while hearing a case regarding the removal of encroachments in the metropolis and restoring the original face of the city. During the proceedings, the top judge asked for the reason behind the situation in Karachi and said: “This is not some village, at one point Karachi used to the jewel of Pakistan. “What a mess you have created in your self-serving interests. Entire parks, graveyards and residential plots have vanished.
