Karachi: At least eight officials of the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA), along with the current owner of a collapsed building in Karachi’s Lyari, were arrested on Thursday following the tragic incident that claimed 27 lives.
The five-storey structure, located on Fida Husain Shaikha Road in Lea Market, came crashing down early Friday morning. After an intense rescue operation that lasted until Sunday, authorities confirmed the devastating toll. Officials revealed that the building had long been declared unsafe for habitation, with the SBCA repeatedly issuing evacuation notices since 2023, urging residents to vacate the premises due to its hazardous condition.
Speaking to the newsmen, South Karachi Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Syed Asad Raza shared that arrests were made after a first information report (FIR) was lodged a day earlier.
“Nine SBCA officials along with the current owner were named in the FIR, which was filed on the complaint of a local government department officer. So far, eight directors and deputy directors have been taken into custody, while one official could not be arrested due to illness. The building owner has also been apprehended,” he stated.
In response to public outrage, the Sindh government earlier this week suspended SBCA Director General Ishaque Khuhro and promised strict action against all individuals found responsible.
Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon announced the formation of a fact-finding committee tasked with investigating the collapse and presenting its findings promptly. He further disclosed that the Sindh chief minister had directed the home minister to ensure an FIR was registered without delay.
The FIR, filed at Baghdadi Police Station by Hamadullah, a section officer of the Sindh Local Government and Housing Town Planning Department, invoked multiple sections of the Pakistan Penal Code. These include Section 34 (common intention), Section 217 (public servant disobeying direction of law with intent to protect someone from punishment), Section 218 (public servant framing incorrect records), Section 288 (negligent conduct related to buildings), Section 322 (punishment for unintentional manslaughter), Section 337-Ai (causing injury with knowledge of harm), and Section 427 (mischief causing property damage).
According to the FIR, the ill-fated building covered an area of 527.3 square yards and was originally constructed in 1986. Over the years, the owner expanded it into a five-storey-plus-ground structure, divided into two portions. Both segments had been in a state of disrepair for a considerable period, rendering them unfit for habitation. The complaint highlighted that on July 4, one of the buildings, housing 20 apartments, collapsed due to what it described as the “criminal negligence” of both the SBCA officials and the building owner.
The FIR noted that SBCA officials were well aware of the deteriorating condition of the building yet failed to take meaningful action. It accused them of gross negligence, stating they “completely failed” to fulfill their official responsibilities. It further alleged that these officials “deliberately” omitted references to the building’s hazardous state in official records, thereby shielding it from necessary regulatory intervention.
Additionally, the report stated that the current owner, along with other unidentified previous owners, knew the structure was unsafe for human occupancy. Despite this, they continued to rent out numerous flats—many of them to members of the Hindu community—thereby exhibiting blatant disregard for human life.
The complainant urged that stringent legal action be initiated against both the SBCA officials and the owners responsible for the tragedy, stressing the need for accountability to prevent such catastrophic incidents in the future.
