KARACHI                  -              A three-member bench of the Supreme Court comprising Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed, Justice Faisal Arab and Justice Sajjad Ali Shah here on Thursday ordered removal of the Director Gen­eral, Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) Zafar Ahsan.

The bench while hearing matters related to illegal construction and removal of encroach­ments from Karachi, directed the Chief Minister of Sindh, through Chief Secretary, to urgently look into the identical issues.

Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed, during the hear­ing held at Supreme Court’s Karachi Registry observed that thousands of illegal buildings were raised in Karachi with absolute impunity and in violation to relevant rules and regulations. The bench sought a detailed report, within two weeks, comprising record of last one-year of the permis­sions granted for construction of ground plus two structures in Karachi.

On pleas moved by different complainants about illegal construction and negligence on part of the officials of SBCA, the bench directed the provincial government authorities to re­move corrupt officials and depute honest offi­cers in concerned departments.

The court during the course of hearing asked the Director SBCA Mushtaq Soomro to leave the court while the Chief Secretary of Sindh was di­rected to assume the additional charge of the office of DG SBCA. Chief Secretary of Sindh was further directed by the bench to submit his re­port with in two weeks regarding complaints received against the SBCA officials.

The bench, on the occasion, also took up an application about illegal construction on the land earmarked for a park at Boat Basin Kara­chi and issued notice to the owner of the build­ing erected on the land of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Park - Boat Basin. Meanwhile, Mayor of Karachi, Waseem Akhter talking to media out­side Supreme Court Karachi Registry, following his appearance before the bench, said Article 140-A of the Constitution of Pakistan defines administrative, financial and political power to be devolved to grassroot levels. Article 140-A was read out before the bench, he added. The Karachi Mayor mentioned that the court was told by the Sindh Government that the Karachi Municipal Corporation has got the authority to manage the charged parkings.