KARACHI: The Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) has asked the former world squash legend Janahgir Khan to demolish by Saturday his squash complex on Kashmir Road, or the SBCA will dismantle it itself, it emerged on Thursday.

Sources said the SBCA was reluctant to take action against the former legend despite violation of rules for the sanctity of the Quaid-i-Azam mausoleum and issued the demolition directive only after an official of the Mazar management board pointed it out.

Know more: SBCA unseals Jahangir Khan Sports Complex

The sources said the SBCA Jamshed Town deputy director issued a letter to Mr Khan on Sept 26, which said: “It is to inform you that the submitted regularisation case of Jahangir Khan Squash Complex cannot be processed since the height of complex building is shown as 51.5 feet which indicates an increase in height from the one originally approved at 45.25 feet by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation on Aug 14, 1976.

“You are, therefore, directed to demolish within a month the portion of the building which violates the height restriction. In case of failure, the authority shall take necessary demolition action under Section 7A of the Sindh Building Control Ordinance 1979–82 and amended up to date,” said the letter.

The sources said that after having issued the directive to Mr Khan, the SBCA wrote a letter to Mohammad Arif, resident engineer of the Quaid-i-Azam Mazar Management Board who had pointed out the illegal construction to the authority, informing him that the KMC had approved completion the plan of PIA Squash Complex with the building height at 42.25 feet.

Then in 2005, the KBCA — now the SBCA — approved the complex’s building plan for “addition/alteration/renovation with the original height structure without altering current skyline/height already approved.”

The letter informs Mr Arif that Mr Khan had submitted a building plan for the regularisation of the complex with its height at 51.5 feet, seven feet higher than the originally approved height, so Mr Khan had been directed to demolish the portion constructed in violation of the approved plan.

“Besides, after the implementation of Karachi Building Control and Town Planning Regulations 2002, no approval would be granted until and unless the owner produced a height certificate issued by the master plan department which is mandatory under Clause 25-1.10.3,” said the letter.

The sources said that when the Pakistan International Airline sacked Mr Khan he moved the services tribunal which ordered restoration of his services but the PIA did not want him back and struck a deal with him under which the player got the PIA’s squash complex, which was located within a restricted area where no building could be raised higher than the podium of Quaid’s Mazar, said the sources.

After taking over the complex, Mr Khan razed it and raised a new building, higher than the old one in violation of the laws, and launched a membership campaign for his newly built complex-cum-club for a fee of over Rs500,000 offering many commercial facilities, including cinemas, banquet halls, bakery, shops, etc, which was not allowed on the plot as it had been categorised as ‘amenity plot’ where commercial activities were not allowed.

When it was reported in the media, the SBCA moved into action and rushed to seal the complex. A couple of cases were filed in court. One of the cases has since been dismissed as the applicant has withdrawn, while the other is pending trial.

Then instead of taking punitive action against Mr Khan for the illegal construction the SBCA simply unsealed the complex, saying that it had been done in recognition of Mr Khan’s extraordinary services for the country.

In September this year Mr Arif of the Mazar board management, a federal entity, wrote again to the SBCA urging it to take action against the illegal constriction by Mr Khan following which the SBCA had now issued the demolition orders to the former squash player, the sources said.

Published in Dawn, October 24th, 2014