If you are a Shahra-e-Faisal commuter in Karachi, you must have observed a lurking glass tower of an under construction commercial shopping plaza – Falcon Mall – inside the Pakistan Air Force Base. But Tuesday morning came as a little surprise for commuters.

The foundation stone of the Falcon Mall was laid in October 2010 and the project was being promoted on social media with pre-launch campaign. According to a Twitter page named Falcon Mall, the project included restaurants and a multiplex cinema.

But the building now has a new name: Air War College Institute. The glass tower features the new name and it raised many eyebrows and people took to the Twitter asking authorities about the recent change.

When SAMAA TV asked about the new identity of the building, the PAF’s spokesperson said that one of the faculties of Air War College is being moved in the building.

However, the spokesperson didn’t confirm if the campus is a temporary set up or permanent.

On October 22, the Sindh High Court banned the commercial use of lands allotted for defence purposes including the 264,000 square feet land, owned by PAF’s Shaheen Foundation.

The court also ordered an inspection of the reclaimed land and sought a report on the commercial use of the defence lands.

On the other hand, the Supreme Court of Pakistan on December 1 termed the commercial use of defense lands a matter of embarrassment for judiciary and military establishment.

The top court noted that managing cinema halls, wedding halls or huge shopping malls, petrol pumps or housing societies on military lands was not legally sustainable.

The SC is hearing a number of cases related to encroachments in Karachi. In different hearings, the apex court has sought reports on the “china-cutting” of 35,000 plots, Nasla Tower, Tejori Heights, Aladin Park, and Kidney Hill Park.

Nasla Tower was declared to have been built on encroached land by the Supreme Court on June 16 this year and was ordered to be demolished.

Ealier, the apex court ruled to demolish Aladdin Shopping Mall and Pavilion End Club on Rashid Minhas Road.

Thus Karachi Metropolitan Corporation demolished 100 shops at Aladin Park and razed the KDA Officers’ Club on Kashmir Road during its anti-encroachment drive.

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