The Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) has removed its notification allowing commercial activities on residential plots.
A written statement confirming the withdrawal was submitted to the High Court of the Sindh by the Director General of the SBCA Muhammad Ishaq Khuhro.
The High Court heard petitions filed against the SBCA decision to allow the commercial use of residential plots.
In her written response, SBCA said she canceled the notification issued on March 13, 2025.
Following this, the court eliminated the petitions deposited by Jamaat-E-Islami and others.
The petitions, submitted by the chief of the opposition of the municipal council, Saifuddin Advocate and nine presidents of the city, argued that SBCA had modified the rules for the construction of Karachi and the planning of the city to modify the definition of the plots of pleasure. They argued that the approval plots cannot be legally used for purposes other than their original intention.
Petitioners also said that the amendment had deleted the “health care” from the list of approved uses for approval plots and that residential land was reused for education, health care and recreational use without public consent.
They argued that the revision also eliminated the right of the public to oppose land transfers.
In addition, SBCA revoked the recent changes to the City of Karachi City Construction and Planning Regulations. This reversal followed an examination of the policies of changes introduced thanks to the notification of March.
According to the last SBCA circular, the modifications were canceled with immediate effect. The authority exercised its powers under article 21-A of the order to control the buildings of the Sindh, 1979, and other relevant provisions.
The circular was officially signed by the director general Muhammad Ishaq Khuhro.
