PTI challenges amendment in building rules in SHC

Earlier, the court had clubbed similar petitions of Jamaat Islami and Pasban with a previous petition from citizens.

The Secretary Local Government and the DG Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) have been made respondents in the petition.

PTI petitioned that the March 13 amendment notification by the DG SBCA in regulations has been unlawful. “The amendment further overburden the city’s infrastructure,” PTI lawyer Ghulam Mohyddin argued.

“The court should declare the notification as unlawful and declare it as void,” the lawyer pleaded.

PTI leader Khurram Sherzaman talking to media termed the amendment in rules a conspiracy against the city when its infrastructure has already been destroyed.

He demanded from the PPP to take back the amendment in building rules.

In an earlier petition from citizens challenging the amendment in building regulations, they pleaded to declare the impugned amendment ultra vires to the Sindh Building Control Ordinance, 1979 (SBCO) and other relevant laws as well as without lawful authority and of no legal effect.

The lawyer argued that the SBCA had abruptly and without any lawful authority amended the definition of various regulations of KBTPR by substituting the meaning of ‘amenity plot’, ‘commercial’ and ‘residential uses’.

He argued that such an amendment was against the very definition of “residential uses” and would practically lead to conversion of a residential property into a commercial one without fulfilment of any requirements for change of land use as provided in the 2002 rules.