Officials of SBCA, HDA and HMC summoned in plots' status conversion case.

HYDERABAD -- Sindh High Court's Hyderabad circuit has directed the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) regional director, Hyderabad Development Authority (HDA) director planning and development control and Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (HMC) land director and municipal commissioner to appear in person on Jan 28 along with their reports regarding conversion of residential plots to commercial ones and approval for commercial projects.

A division bench comprising Justice Nadeem Akhtar and Justice Arshad Hussain Khan passed the order on a petition filed by a citizen, Mr Muzammil, through Advocate Tahir Nisar Rajput against the conversion.

According to the petitioner, residential plots in Latifabad have been and are still being illegally converted to commercial ones by the respondents. The SBCA has approved building plans and granted permissions for the execution of commercial projects.

The bench noted it appeared that the impugned conversion of residential plots had been made on the basis of Resolution 189, purportedly passed on Oct 30, 2004 by the defunct taluka council of Latifabad.

The petitioner has submitted in court that Resolution 189 empowered the taluka nazim to allow commercialisation of residential plots on main roads although such a decision could not be taken by just 15 councillors through a resolution. As a result, roadside bungalows were converted to plazas and high-rise commercial buildings by 'builder mafia' and the TMA in violation of the area's master plan.

The petitioner stated that the Sindh government had through a notification dated March 2, 2015 restrained municipal authorities from converting status of plots as the powers delegated to councils had been withdrawn.

He pointed out that after the 2015 notification, all NOCs were declared null and void and plots' original status...