Nasla Tower: SC orders filing contempt case against DG-SBCA

KARACHI: The Supreme Court, in a major development, decided to annex the plot of Nasla Tower on a plea of the Attorney General of Pakistan, ARY News reported.

A bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed conditioned handing over of the plot of the building with payment of compensation to the affected persons.

The court annexed Nasla Tower plot as the case property and directed the Nazir for immediate action to the effect.

The bench also directed registration of a case against the Director General Sindh Building Control Authority and issued a notice to the DG-SBCA.

The bench also ordered the Commissioner Karachi to complete demolition of the building within 15 by utilizing all available resources.

The Commissioner in his report informed the court that all internal structure of Nasla Tower has been razed and five floors of the building have been demolished.

“Did you write this report by yourself,” Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin questioned the Commissioner. “Sindh Building Control Authority officials interfered in the work,” he replied. “Did you file any case against them,” the judge further questioned. “This is the reason the non-state actors are operating in the country,” the court remarked.

The bench called the DG-SBCA to the rostrum and asked,” If you intervened,” “We didn’t intervene,” the DG replied.

“All persons that have interfered, have committed contempt of the court,” the chief justice said. “Contempt proceedings should be initiated against all of them,” Justice Qazi Amin said.

On June 19, the Supreme Court in a hearing at the Karachi registry had ordered the metropolitan authorities in its written verdict to immediately demolish the Nasla Tower built on Sharea Faisal in violation of laws.

In its written verdict released by the SC bench, it was directed that the owner of Nasla Tower must immediately recompense the allottees the money he raked in for the illegal project.

All the allottees must be paid back the money for this project within three months, the verdict had said.