If 27th Amendment had been enacted earlier, Nasla Tower would have been saved: Nasir

KARACHI: Sindh Minister for Local Government Syed Nasir Hussain Shah Saturday said that had the 27th Constitutional Amendment been introduced earlier, the Nasla Tower would have been saved from demolition. He said the talk of creating new provinces is nothing but a publicity stunt and a mere mental distraction. He assured that Karachi’s infrastructure would be significantly improved very soon.

He said that Karachi contributes 70% to Pakistan’s economy, yet the federal government only tried to appease the city by offering a BRT project, and even the promise of allocating 100 billion rupees was not fulfilled. He said that if ABAD submits a draft for low-cost housing schemes, the Sindh government will fully cooperate.

ABAD Chairman Muhammad Hassan Bakhshi said that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the Saudi government and ABAD, under which Saudi Arabia will invest 500 million dollars in Karachi’s construction sector. He urged that land records and project approvals must be digitized.

They expressed these views while addressing a ceremony held at ABAD House. On the occasion, DG SBCA Muzzammil Halipoto, former ABAD chairman and Patron-in-Chief of the Allied Panel Mohsin Sheikhani, Senior Vice Chairman Syed Afzal Hameed, Vice Chairman Tariq Aziz, Chairman Southern Region Ahmed Owais Thanvi, Hyderabad Region Vice Chairman Abdullah Jan Memon and a large number of ABAD members were also present.

Syed Nasir Hussain Shah said the 27th Constitutional Amendment has been drafted for the benefit of Karachi’s residents. Creating new provinces, he said, is extremely difficult. He added that Sindh is already struggling to meet the expenses of its existing provincial machinery, and under such circumstances it is not possible to form new assemblies, new courts or new infrastructure.

He said Sindh's local government system is better than those of all other provinces. The government is fully aware of the issues facing the construction sector. “Approvals that are pending will be issued immediately. We want the public to receive affordable housing schemes on time.”

He admitted that several departments, including the SBCA, require significant improvements and said that officers who were unjustly harassing builders have been removed from their positions. “Illegal construction must be stopped, but legitimate work should not be hindered,” he added.

Shah said that under the vision of President Asif Ali Zardari and Chairman Bilawal Bhutto, the provincial government is striving to promote investment. “We do not want builders to leave the country,” he said. The minister assured that the government, in collaboration with builders and developers, will take measures that can create jobs, enhance housing availability and genuinely improve the construction economy.

Speaking at the event, ABAD Chairman Muhammad Hassan Bakhshi said that institutional hurdles in Karachi have reached an extreme level, causing the construction industry to fall into crisis. He said delays have become routine, from the transfer of commercial plots to the resolution of various legal issues. “Even after issuance of notifications by municipal bodies, implementation does not take place, and the industry cannot function this way,” he added.

He said that ABAD members are now reluctant to invest in Karachi, and many have shifted their investments to Dubai and Lahore. Bakshi revealed that the cement, steel and tile industries are operating at only 50 percent capacity, underscoring the severity of the situation.

He said billions of dollars could be invested in Karachi, but land ownership issues are so severe that many households have not received ownership rights even after 40 years. He said that the Lyari Development Authority and Malir Development Authority received payments for plots 20 years ago but have still not handed over possession. “SBCA staff has become more powerful than the Director General, and three consecutive DGs have shown disappointing performance,” he added.

At the event, ABAD Patron-in-Chief Mohsin Sheikhani said that the patwari system and land mafia are openly active in Karachi. “Builders are moving to Dubai for safe investment. If we go to inspect land here, the land grabbers immediately become active,” he said. He added that in Islamabad, approval for a housing scheme was granted in just ten days, while in Karachi the process takes weeks.

ABAD Senior Vice Chairman Syed Afzal Hameed thanked Minister Nasir Hussain Shah, saying that under his leadership the construction sector in Karachi will progress.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025