Land for housing society: MDA tells SC it has no objection to amounts deposited by BTLK with Sindh govt

ISLAMABAD: Malir Development Authority (MDA) has informed the Supreme Court that it has no objection to the amounts deposited by Bahria Town Limited, Karachi (BTLK) with Sindh government for land it acquired in Sindh for developing a housing society.

The MDA, on Monday, with the approval of Caretaker Chief Minister Sindh Justice Maqbool Baqir (retired) filed the statement in pursuant with the direction of a three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, and comprising Justice Aminuddin Khan and Justice Athar Minallah.

The bench will resume the hearing of the case on November 8.

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The statement said; “The amounts so deposited by BTLK along with markup may kindly be ordered to be credited in Account No. 1, of the Government of Sindh.” “With respect to the claim of MDA for return of amount deposited by it with the government of Sindh in respect of the subject land, the same shall be decided by the appropriate forum, ie, the Provincial Cabinet in accordance with law,” it added.

The MDA further stated that it is denied that any other body or entity is entitled to a single rupee from the monies deposited by BTLK/allottees, in terms of the consent order dated 21.03.2019.

It informed that the Sindh government is in dire need of funds for the execution of its public and development projects and has been repeatedly pleading for release of funds before this Court. It submitted that the SC judgment dated 04.05.2018, (authored by Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan), fully confirms that the ownership of the land vests with the Sindh government and its entitlement to Rs460 billion, agreed in the SC consent Order dated 11.03.2019.

The MDA submitted the requisite approvals to the project of Bahria Town. In the last hearing, the bench had directed the MDA and Sindh Buildings Control Authority (SBCA) to file the requisite approvals to the project of Bahria Town, Karachi through their respective concise statements signed by senior most persons of the said organisations.

The bench had also recorded in the order; “BTLK shall complete the project and all constructions shall be compliant with all the applicable laws, rules and regulations including Sindh Building Control Laws.”

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023