• Supreme Court orders Karachi commissioner to double number of labourers, demolish Nasla Tower within a week.
• Top court sets time-frame of 20 days to demolish Tejori Heights.
• ABAD chairman holds relevant government departments accountable for construction of Nasla Tower.

KARACHI: The Supreme Court (SC) has ordered the Karachi commissioner to double the number of staff and demolish the Nasla Tower within a week.

A larger three-member bench, led by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed, is hearing key cases from the SC Karachi Registry, reports The News.

In its written order, the high court ordered the commissioner to double the number of staff from 200 to 400 to demolish the Nasla Tower within a week and set a 20-day deadline to demolish Tejori Heights.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Association of Builders and Developers ABAD, Mr Mohsin Shaikhani, called for the relevant government departments to respond as the entire building was not built in one day. Shaikhani said the prime minister and secretary general of Sindh should address the situation and urged them to stay with them and collectively take steps to improve Karachi.

Those who authorize the Nasla Tower program will be punished first: Saeed Ghani

Earlier, on Friday, Sindh Information Minister Saeed Ghani demanded that those responsible for issuing permits to build the Nasla Tower building be prosecuted and punished.

Speaking on Geo News program Aaj Shahzaib Khanzada Kay Saath, the minister said the culprit – whether the Sindh government or the builder of the Nasla Tower – should be punished more than those who bought the flats.

“Because of the controversy when I say the builder is wrong, the Sindh government is wrong, Saeed Ghani is wrong or Murad Ali Shah is wrong, punish them first,” he said.

He asked the courts to impose exemplary punishments on those responsible for the construction of the tower rather than on its occupants.

“I don’t think they [the Nasla Tower stakeholders] are 1% guilty,” he said. “When they buy flats or shops there, I’m sure they should have checked all the SBCA permits and maps before doing so,” he added.