50% demolition work at 15-storey Nasla Tower completed, claims SBCA

KARACHI: An official of the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) has claimed that 50 per cent of demolition work at the 15-storey Nasla Tower had been completed, Bol News reported on Saturday.

“The outer walls of the building have been demolished, and lifts have been removed,” he added.

Read more: Section 144 imposed around Nasla Tower as demolition work continues

In June this year, the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC), had ordered the demolition of the Nasla Tower as a part of it was encroaching on the land meant for a service road.

According to the SBCA, 400 labourers had been demolishing the building. “The labourers are demolishing top floors of the tower, ceilings and their inner walls with the help of hammers.”

“Whoever tried to create hindrance in the demolition work would be arrested,” said the SBCA official.

On November 28, the local administration imposed Section 144 around Nasla Tower till the demolition work was completed.

Police and Rangers had been posted around the building to prevent irrelevant persons from going near the Tower. All the roads leading to the building had been sealed. The road connecting Shahra-e-Faisal with Shahra-e-Quaideen had also been closed for traffic.

Over the past few weeks, the issue of Nasla Tower’s demolition became a talk of the town.

Some believe that the superior judiciary has set an example so that there would be more demolitions of illegal buildings in the future after the 15-storey residential project is razed.

Nasla Tower has 11 residential floors as well as a four-storey parking facility. This includes 44 apartments.

The developer was reportedly suffering financial losses, and there remains a possibility that the affectees might not be compensated.

Read more: Nasla Tower being demolished haphazardly: SBCA changes operation in-charge 

The SC’s decision calling for the controlled demolition of the tower comes on the heels of anti-encroachment operations along Gujjar Nullah and other drains, as well as recovery of the land needed for the Karachi Circular Railway, ordered by the apex court.