The Knowledge Forum (TKF), in collaboration with the Urban Resource Centre (URC) and Shehri-CBE, organised a public dialogue at the Karachi Press Club on April 24, 2025, to discuss the Sindh Building Control Authority’s (SBCA) notification that allowed commercial activities in residential neighbourhoods.
The session brought together residents, urban planners, civil society organisations, legal experts, and media representatives to examine the far-reaching implications of the proposed amendments to the Karachi Building and Town Planning Regulations (KBTPR) 2002.
Speakers highlighted the potential impact on Karachi’s residential areas, emphasising the need to protect community spaces, maintain livability, and ensure sustainable and transparent urban development.
This dialogue played a pivotal role in mobilising public opinion and strengthening advocacy efforts, which ultimately led to the withdrawal of the controversial notification.
Senior town planner and renowned architect Arif Hasan criticised the current state of housing and land use in Karachi, emphasising the urgent need for Urban Land Reforms in Sindh. “The absence of low-income housing is forcing people to develop informal settlements or katchi abadis,” he said. “The government must fulfil its responsibility in ensuring planned and affordable housing.”
Amber Alibhai of Shehri-CBE pointed out that amendments to the Sindh Building Control Ordinance 1979 and related bylaws are being carried out without public knowledge or input. “The Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) has centralised control over master planning, regulations, and town planning, and they are making changes quietly,” she said. “Major shifts in land use, building heights, and parking norms are being made without transparency.”
Architect Fazal Noor warned that while commercial activity is a natural outcome in a city like Karachi, “regularising violations is not a solution to the inability to enforce rules.” He emphasised that commercial areas should not be broadly defined and called for a rethinking of planning criteria, particularly how land use is determined. “We must move from land area-based formulas to those grounded in population density and environmental impact, including smog, noise, sewage, and drainage issues,” he said.
Abeera Ashfaq lamented the absence of a system to compensate those displaced by commercialisation or illegal development. “The affected are left without remedy, while power has increasingly shifted from technical experts and regulators to bureaucrats serving business interests,” she said.
Ex-chief of Citizens Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) Jameel Yousuf said in 1995, we had established Neighbourhood Watch and we handled all civic facilities by ourselves. The idea was to replicate it in other areas. We wanted the KMC to multiply it in other areas. He suggested that KMC should take over all societies that are collecting funds from residents and confiscate all their funds.
Ms. Zeenia Shaukat, Director of The Knowledge Forum, who introduced the speakers, emphasised that the consultation aimed to address concerns over amendments that were made quietly during long public holidays, without public or stakeholder engagement. “Civil society must speak up. The culture and environment of Karachi are at stake,” she said.
