By Staff Reporter
KARACHI: Sindh province’s chief minister suspended the head of the building control authority on Monday after a five-story building collapsed in Karachi, killing 27 people, as the government confronted growing accusations of negligence tied to the disaster.
The collapse took place on Friday morning in the busy Lea Market area, with rescue efforts ending Sunday.
The Sindh Building and Control Authority (SBCA) had long declared the structure uninhabitable, citing its dilapidated condition, and issued multiple notices since 2023 ordering residents to vacate. Yet the building stood, until it didn’t, leaving a grim toll in its rubble.
At a press conference in Karachi, Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon, flanked by Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar and Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani, outlined the government’s swift actions.
“Today, the chief minister has also suspended the DG SBCA and has ordered the home minister to immediately register an FIR on the incident and that strictest action be taken against all those involved,” Memon said, referring to the first information report that will launch a formal police investigation.
Ghani added that the suspensions extended beyond the director general to include the SBCA’s deputy director and building inspectors.
The provincial minister also announced financial relief, stating that the Sindh government would provide Rs1 million in compensation to the families of each of the 27 victims.
The incident has drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties, including the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), and Jamaat-i-Islami. They have accused the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government in Sindh and the SBCA of “criminal negligence,” urging manslaughter charges against officials and pressing for compensation and new housing for affected families.
Memon offered condolences at the press conference. “The entire province, nation, and all of us as the government representatives are saddened and equally share the grief of the bereaved families,” he said. “The chief minister has taken a very strict notice of this,” he added, underscoring that Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah’s directive targeted “those who did not fulfil their duties or even if they fulfilled, they were not able to implement them.”
A fact-finding committee, including the Karachi commissioner, has been tasked with investigating the collapse and must submit a report within two days, down from three due to the Ashura holidays.
The panel will review the actions of all SBCA officers since 2022. “If the committee finds criminal negligence by any employee, they will be included in the FIR and face legal action,” Ghani said.
The collapse has also cast a spotlight on a broader crisis. The SBCA has flagged 588 buildings across Karachi as dangerous, including 107 in the Lyari area alone.
Ghani said the Karachi commissioner has two weeks to assess these structures and recommend which should be demolished or repaired, a daunting task in a city where aging infrastructure looms as a persistent threat.
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