Pakistan Court Sets Aside Orders to Demolish Nasla Tower

The Federal Constitutional Court of Pakistan has withdrawn general directions from the Supreme Court that ordered the demolition of illegal constructions in Karachi.

This ruling halts the immediate threat of demolition for several structures, most notably the Nasla Tower. The decision signals a significant shift in how the judiciary handles urban planning violations and the division of authority between different court levels.

The Federal Constitutional Court acted to correct what it deemed a jurisdictional overreach by the Supreme Court. The court said the previous orders had improperly placed the onus for addressing illegal construction solely on the Sindh government.

The legal conflict stems from a series of directives issued over several years. The Supreme Court had issued general directions in 2018 and 2019 ^[1] that authorized the demolition of illegal buildings throughout Karachi. These efforts culminated in more sweeping directions specifically targeting the Nasla Tower case in 2021 ^[2].

By recalling these orders, the Federal Constitutional Court has effectively set aside the mandate for the demolition of the tower and other affected sites. The court said the Supreme Court had overstepped its jurisdiction when issuing these broad administrative mandates.

Legal representatives for the affected parties had long argued that the demolition orders were procedurally flawed. The current ruling suggests that the responsibility for urban enforcement must remain within the appropriate administrative and jurisdictional boundaries, rather than through sweeping judicial decrees.