Nasla Tower decision: Hope or disappointment for affectees?

Some decisions in life, made by others, often leave people suspended between hope and disappointment, wondering whether to celebrate or grieve their past losses. The same happened to the affectees of ‘Nasla Tower’ when the Federal Constitutional Court reversed the Supreme Court’s judgment that had led to the building’s demolition.

Affectees of the demolished Nasla Tower have expressed anger and disbelief after the Federal Constitutional Court of Pakistan overturned the Supreme Court’s orders, saying the decision has come too late for families who lost their homes.

The Federal Constitutional Court ruled that ordering action against illegal constructions is not the judiciary’s role but the responsibility of provincial governments and the relevant regulatory authorities.

In its judgment, the court ruled that courts should confine themselves to resolving disputes brought before them and avoid intervening in unnecessary matters.

Following the ruling, former residents gathered at the site of the demolished Nasla Tower. Among them was elderly Muhammad Ali, who said he had owned three apartments in the building.

‘The building was destroyed, and People died; now they say the demolition order was wrong. What is the value of this decision after everything that has happened?”

Muhammad Ali alleged that the original demolition order had been driven by the personal ego of a Supreme Court judge and said it had devastated countless families.

“What is the purpose of this ruling now?” he asked. “There was one decision for Nasla Tower and another for Islamabad.”