After Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed issued orders for the demolition of Nasla Towers in Karachi, protesters arrived at Shahrah-e-Faisal to express their displeasure. The protest was called by the Association of Builders and Developers (ABAD). Protesters attempted to prevent the demolition of the 15-storey building from proceeding, disrupting traffic along the busy route.
Rangers and police eventually resorted to batons and tear gas in an effort to disperse the protesters.
ABAD claims that a no-objection certificate (NOC) had been obtained from Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA). “If there was a problem, why did SBCA grant us an NOC then?” asked ABAD member Ovais Thanvi. He further demanded that regularisation be applied uniformly in Karachi:
“If Islamabad’s buildings can be regularised, why not Karachi’s?”
Meanwhile police set up a “red line” around the tower, which they will not permit anyone unauthorised to cross.
The Chief Justice had issued instructions to Karachi Commissioner Iqbal Memon to demolish the 15-storey building within a week.
