On Thursday, the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) reportedly sealed a dental clinic owned by former President of Pakistan, Dr. Arif Alvi, due to violations of zoning regulations.
The clinic, situated in the Sindhi Muslim Cooperative Housing Society (SMCHS), was found to be operating within a residential bungalow, which contravenes the authority’s rules regarding commercial activities in residential zones.
The operation to seal the clinic was conducted under the supervision of SBCA Assistant Director Shakeel Jamali.
A team of officials from the SBCA, accompanied by local police, executed the action. Authorities indicated that the clinic had been functioning without the necessary permits for commercial operations in a residential area, prompting this enforcement action.
Sources suggest that complaints from local residents regarding the clinic’s presence in a residential zone triggered the SBCA’s intervention.
An anonymous SBCA official stated, “This is part of our ongoing efforts to address illegal commercial use of residential properties.” The crackdown reflects the authority’s commitment to maintaining zoning laws and ensuring that residential areas are not compromised by commercial activities.
Dr. Arif Alvi, who served as Pakistan’s president from 2018 to 2023, has not yet made a public statement regarding the sealing of his clinic. The clinic has been a well-established entity in the community, and the recent action has drawn significant attention due to Dr. Alvi’s prominent political background.
This situation raises questions about the balance between residential living and commercial operations, highlighting ongoing challenges faced by authorities in regulating land use in urban areas.
