KARACHI, May 17: The tussle between the provincial and the city governments over the administrative control of the Karachi Building Control Authority took a new twist on Saturday when City Nazim Mustafa Kamal declared the functioning of the authority illegal and asked citizens not to approach it for the approval of building layout plans.

Mr Kamal also directed all town nazims to demolish all structures raised on the basis of the layout plans approved by the KBCA after April 29.

On April 24, the provincial government removed the city nazim and appointed local government minister Agha Siraj Durrani ‘authority’ of the KBCA under the Sindh Building Control Ordinance 1979. On April 25, the city government implemented an earlier decision of the Sindh government and made the KBCA ‘16th group of offices’ in the city government in pursuance of the relevant clauses of the Sindh Local Government Ordinance 2001 and directed the then chief controller to act as executive district officer of the building control group of offices.

However, the Sindh government asserted its power and appointed Manzoor Qadir chief controller of the KBCA. Mr Qadir took charge of his new office despite the fact that the city government had termed his notification illegal.

The nazim left the city on April 26 for the United States on a two-week visit and during this period the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and the Pakistan People’s Party formed a coalition government in Sindh. Mr Kamal returned here on May 12 and at a press conference the same day he said he was ready to work with the provincial government.

Talking to newsmen in his office on Saturday, Mr Kamal said that under the law the functioning of the KBCA was illegal and, therefore, it had no authority to approve any building layout plan. He advised citizens and the association of builders and developers (ABAD) not to approach the KBCA for the approval of layout plans and instead contact their respective towns in this regard.

He said the city government was taking measures for the implementation of its earlier notifications regarding making the KBCA ‘building control group of offices’. “We have got information that the KBCA is approving building layout plans in return for heavy bribes and, therefore, it is in the interest of citizens and ABAD not to approach the KBCA, and save the required fee and the money which they might pay in bribe,” he added.

Mr Kamal said he had directed the town administrations to make arrangements for the approval of layout plans in their respective offices as the KBCA had already been devolved to towns.

He said he had also directed the town nazims to keep an eye on raising of all unauthorised structures in their respective areas and have structures built after April 29 demolished.

Meanwhile, the city nazim imposed a ban on all departmental transfers and postings within the city government with immediate effect.

Sources told Dawn that the nazim also directed the district coordination officer and all EDOs not to join or relieve any officer without his approval.

The sources said that any officer transferred or posted by the Sindh government would not be relieved or allowed to join a new posting without obtaining permission from the city nazim.

They said the nazim had disallowed joining to some low-ranking employees posted by the provincial government in the revenue department.