KARACHI: Authorities have imposed Section 144 – which prohibit the assembly of four or more people – around the high-rise Nasla Tower, where demolition work is underway on Supreme Court’s order, in view of protests.
Deputy Commissioner East District Asif Jaan Siddiqui also issued a notification stating the district administration has banned the gathering of four or more people around the Nasla Tower.
The move came after several people including residents and builders staged a protest against the demolition of Nasla Tower, a residential building located declared illegal by the Supreme Court.
The protestors tried to enter the building to halt the demolition process. The police tried to stop the protestors and later resorted to baton-charge and fired gas shells at the protestors
A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed has instructed Karachi commissioner to use all heavy equipment and machinery available at his disposal and “immediately demolish” Nasla Tower.
Ib Friday, a three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed inquired from the commissioner Karachi about the demolition of Nasla Tower. The commissioner Karachi submitted a progress report with regard to the demolition of the building along with photographs.
He said a demolition exercise was being carried out under the supervision of qualified engineers of the Sindh Building Control Authority and 200 persons had been engaged in the demolition exercise. The court directed commissioner Karachi to increase the workforce to 400 for demolition purposes and submit a compliance report.
The Association of Builders and Developers (ABAD) – which called for protest outside the Nasla Tower – stopped work on all ongoing projects in Karachi in protest against uncertainty over the future of the housing schemes.
ABAD chairman Mohsin Sheikhani said that people were afraid that their buildings could be demolished in the future. He added that the builders would have to restore confidence of the common man and satisfy the investors.
Sheikhani said that it was the government’s job to inspect if there were errors in the project’s licence. He added that ABAD would stop work on all residential and commercial projects in Karachi.
Earlier on June 16, the three-judge Supreme Court bench had initially ordered the demolition of the 15-storey building for encroaching on the land meant for a service road. The builder of Nasla Tower had filed a review petition against the June 16 order, which was dismissed by Supreme Court last month.
