KARACHI: Sindh Minister for Local Government Saeed Ghani on Friday said that he would leave his ministry but would not comply with the Supreme Court’s (SC) order of demolishing illegal buildings.
The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader said that it was not possible for the provincial government to demolish residential buildings.
“I will leave my ministry but will not go ahead with demolishing buildings,” he said.
On January 22, a two-judge bench comprising Justice Gulzar Ahmed and Justice Sajid Ali Shah heard the case regarding illegal construction of wedding halls, shopping malls and plazas in residential areas. During the hearing, the top court’s Karachi Registry ordered, “In Karachi, no house will be demolished to be used for commercial purposes.”
Barring the use of residential houses for commercial purpose, the bench said, “Wedding halls, shopping malls and plazas will not be constructed on residential plots.” The bench also sought details of wedding halls, shopping malls and plazas constructed in the city in the last 30 to 40 years and sought recommendations from the Sindh government regarding restoring the city to how it was 40 years ago.