Sindh Govt Assures ABAD of Regularization of Buildings

KARACHI: The Association of Builders and Developers of Pakistan (ABAD) has decided to put off its rally and protest for two days under the assurance of the provincial government for the regularization of the buildings on the pattern of Punjab. The Supreme Court of Pakistan had ordered the commissioner Karachi for Demolition Of Nasla Tower And Tejori Heights Karachi within a very short time by doubling the manpower and laborers on the site and also directed him to set a time frame of 20 days for demolition of Tejori Heights. ABAD, On the other hand, has decided to move the court to establish that the real culprits behind the saga are the ones who issued NOCs and allowed constructions and not the builders and developers.

Chairman ABAD Mohsin Sheikhani, while addressing media said that the rally from ABAD office to CM office has been postponed for two days on the assurance of the provincial government for accepting their charter of demand including regularization of buildings on the analogy of Punjab Government. He further added that Karachi administrator Murtaza Wahab assured him that the government had sent the approval of building regularization to the governor for signature. The chairman ABAD continued, “ABAD is not a political party, but we have the right to raise the voice peacefully when we are forced to stop our businesses.”He said that ABAD was not demanding any undue favor but striving to save the construction industry in the city.

Mr. Sheikhani said that the builders get approval from over a dozen of departments before going for construction and pay millions of rupees in the government’s exchequer. He said that the builders of Karachi have suspended construction of around 300 buildings freezing an investment of Rs 900 billion. ABAD has also demanded of the government to form a single powerful authority for approval of buildings so that its decision should be final and in case of any irregularity, the authority should be held responsible rather than victimizing the builders and developers. Mr. Sheikhani also added that the demolition of buildings would shake the confidence of investors especially the overseas Pakistanis that will damage the economy. Meanwhile, the Sindh Information Minister Saeed Ghani has demanded that the Sindh Government should be allowed to regularize the buildings in violation of rules and regularization as the issue is affecting the lives of millions of people. He said that the ones who issued NOCs should be punished first. He further added that “Sometimes citizens make their homes on state land and end up living there for 50 years,”. He continued that there were two huge buildings constructed on Islamabad's Constitution Avenue in violation of rules and regulations but were regularized officially with a fine of Rs 18 billion.