KARACHI   -   The Supreme Court directed Monday the Karachi authorities to demolish the Nasla Tower through a controlled implosion within a week. Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed heard the case pertaining to the illegal construction of the residential complex on a service road on Sharae Faisal.

In June, the SC had ordered the tower’s demolition over its illegal construction on a service road, telling the builders to refund the registered buyers of the residential and commercial units within three months.

The top judge, refused to let the residents of the building speak. “For us, Nasla Tower doesn’t exist,” he said.

Chief Justice Ahmed instructed the authorities to call in the best and most advanced technology and demolish the building within a week and summoned a report on it.

“Cut off the water and electricity connections of the tower by October 27,” he added and adjourned the hearing.

Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmad asked the Karachi commissioner to get ready to remove the debris of the soon-to-be-demolished building. He also directed him to pay compensation to the residents of the tower.

The court summoned report within a week.

Nasla Tower is located at the intersection of Sharae Faisal and Sharae Quaideen. One apartment roughly costs Rs30 million.

On June 16, the Supreme Court ordered the authorities to demolish the residential plaza. The verdict said that there is “no denial” that the plot was expanded illegally. The original plot was 780 square yards but the tower was built on 1,044 square yards. “A service road has been encroached on and the tower exists on an area in excess of what was originally leased,” it added.

During the hearing, issuing the order to demolish the Nasla Tower, the apex court showed its annoyance over the non-compliance of its earlier order regarding the bulldozing of the residential complex. The court asked the authorities to answer it why the tower had not been bulldozed as yet. The court firmly held that no favour would be granted in this regard.

Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Monday appeared before Supreme Court in a case pertaining to the rehabilitation of stormwater drains affectees.

A three-member bench of Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Gulzar Ahmed and comprising Justice Ijaz-ul-Hassan and Justice Qazi Ameen, was hearing a case on encroachments along the Gujar, Orangi and Mehmoodabad drains at the Karachi registry.

During the hearing of the case, the Supreme Court expressed annoyance over delays in the compensation to the people who lost their homes due to removal of encroachments along the Orangi and Gujjar stormwater drains.

Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed asked the Sindh’s attorney general about the progress on compensation to the affectees. However, the attorney general could not satisfy the court. The apex court questioned the officials about what steps have been taken by the government for rehabilitation of the affectees.

Advocate General Sindh informed the court that CM had submitted a report as the government was facing some financial constraints.

The Chief Justice said that residents of Karachi have no access to clean drinking water and no roads have been constructed since independence of Pakistan.

On this, CM Sindh thanked the court for summoning him and said that as per directions of the apex court, the government provided Rs31 billion to NDMA for cleaning stormwater drains.

He said that the Sindh province was facing shortage of human resources and Sindh government had to talk to Centre for filing vacant seats.

It may be noted that Supreme Court had ordered the authorities to compensate the people whose leased houses have been demolished in the anti-encroachment operation along Orangi and Gujjar stormwater drains.

On September 23, the apex court ordered Sindh chief minister to resettle the affectees within a year. Gujjar and Orangi stormwater drains are two of the three stormwater drains of Karachi where encroachments have been removed. Over 6,000 people have been affected due to the removal of encroachments, mostly poor segment of the society. The people are protesting and are demanding shelter for their children and the family members.