KARACHI (HRNW): The menace of illegal construction continues unabated in the Old City Area of District South, where building mafias—allegedly acting in collusion with corrupt officials from the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA)—are endangering lives for commercial gain. Recent reports from Old Town, near Alif Masjid, reveal that a residential plot (OT8/49) is being transformed into a high-rise structure featuring two commercial shops, a mezzanine floor, and five stories, all without an approved building plan or legal permits.
Local residents expressed deep distress over the rapidly deteriorating civic infrastructure, noting that these unauthorized vertical expansions have crippled the water, electricity, gas, and sewerage systems in the vicinity. Citizens alleged that the contractor, a person with a background as a truck driver, is utilizing substandard construction materials and operating through intimidation. The contractor reportedly claims to have “purchased” immunity by paying heavy bribes to an SBCA official named Kishan Chand, boasting that no amount of public complaints will stop the construction.
The situation is further complicated by a history of violence at the site; just two months ago, a laborer was wounded in a firing incident at this specific plot, underscoring the criminal element surrounding the project. Outraged by the official apathy, the local community has issued an urgent appeal to the Chief Justice of the Sindh High Court, the Chief Minister of Sindh, the Minister for Local Government, and the Anti-Corruption Establishment. They are demanding:
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The immediate cessation and demolition of the unauthorized structure.
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A high-level inquiry into the alleged bribery involving SBCA officials.
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Protection for the neighborhood from the “building mafia” and criminal intimidation.
Residents have warned that if the SBCA fails to act within the coming days, they will be forced to take the matter to the High Court to safeguard their lives and property from this hazardous illegal development.
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