KARACHI: Protests by builders erupted on Wednesday on Shahrah-e-Faisal following orders by Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed to demolish Nasla Tower within a week.
A protest call was given a day ago by Association of Builders And Developers (ABAD) Chairman Mohsin Shaikhani. The association has declared that work on any of its construction sites will remain halted. It maintains that the builders were in possession of no-objection certificates and despite that, the demolition work was ordered.
The protesters, who had gathered in large numbers in the afternoon hours, attempted to stop the demolition work. As a result, the flow of traffic was severely affected on the road considered to be the city’s main artery.
Contingents of police and Rangers were deployed to the site of the protest to disperse the demonstrators. They baton-charged the crowd and used tear gas shells in an attempt to dissuade it from resorting to violence.
According to traffic police, the track from Shahrah-e-Faisal to Shahrah-e-Qaideen became completely choked and as protesters continued to advance, they had no choice but to use force and fire teargas shells. The protesters, however, insist that they were gathered peacefully and even then were subjected to the use of force.
Shaikhani, according to Geo News, was injured and was seen limping away. He tried to speak to the media but it appears law enforcement officers were not allowing any media talk as they continued to try and clear the road.
District administration, anti-encroachment staff, Rangers and police personnel are currently present on the spot to continue monitoring the situation and to maintain law and order.
Earlier in the day, the chief justice directed Karachi Commissioner Iqbal Memon to ensure the Nasla Tower building is razed to the ground within a week.
The chief justice ordered the Karachi commissioner to ensure the process is completed within the said time frame and a report is submitted as well.
“How soon till the process to destroy the building will be completed?” asked the chief justice.
“I can provide no time frame for this,” responded the Karachi commissioner. “Two hundred people are working on it.”
In response, the chief justice told him to double the staff to “bring down the building”. He wondered why authorities were demolishing the building from the ground first.
Supreme Court gets angered at JI leader’s presence
When Jamaat-e-Islami Karachi Ameer Hafiz Naeem appeared in court for the Nasla Tower demolition hearing, the chief justice told him bluntly: “We will not allow politics here.”
Naeem asked the court to order the Sindh government to compensate the Nasla Tower affectees.
“Did you not listen to what milord said?” Justice Qazi Amin told the JI leader.
“What interest do you have in this building?” the chief justice asked Naeem
Angered, the chief justice told the JI leader he would issue him a contempt of court notice. “No one is allowed to do politics in court,” said Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan. “Please leave the courtroom,” he ordered Hafiz Naeem.