At least eight officials of the Control Authority of the Sindh Building (SBCA) were arrested Thursday along with the owner of a building that recently collapsed in Lyari de Karachi, claiming 27 lives.
The five -story building in Fida Husain Shaikha Road in Lea Market collapsed on Friday morning, with rescue operations concluding on Sunday. The building had already been declared uninhabitable by the authorities due to its ruin structure, and the SBCA said it had issued multiple notices prior to residents to vacate the structure since 2023.
Deputy General Inspector of the South Syed Asad Raza Police said Dawn.com That arrests were made today after a first information report (FIR) was recorded one day.
“Nine officials and the current owner of the building were nominated in the one registered in a complaint of a local government department. However, eight attached directors and directors were arrested, but an official was not arrested since he was sick,” he said. Add that the owner was also arrested.
The provincial government had suspended the CEO of the SBCA, Ishaque Khuhro, and announced a strict action against all those responsible for the incident on Monday. The principal minister of Sindh, Sharjeel Inam Memon, said an investigation committee had formed to present a report on the incident, added that Sindh’s prime minister ordered the Interior Minister to immediately register a FIR.
The FIR was registered at the Baghdadi Police Station for the Hamadullah complaint, an officer of the section of the Planning Department of the City of the Local Government of Sindh and housing, according to sections 34 (common intention), 217 (public service disobeying the direction of the law with the intention of saving the person of Ponceghs or Property of Fortegue), 218 (Public Service Fram. repair buildings), 322 (punishment by Qatl-Bis-Sabab), 337-AI (whoever, by doing any act with the intention of causing pain to any person, or with the knowledge that it is likely that it causes any person to any person causes Shajjah-khafifah) and 427 (myPlay causing damage by RS50) of the person) of the person who pekist.
The FIR said that the building, extended over 527.3 square yards, was built in 1986. Its owner built the building on the ground floor of five more floors in two portions, and for a considerable period, both portions (buildings) were in ruins and were not livestock. He added that a building with 20 apartments collapsed on July 4 due to the “criminal negligence” of the SBCA officials and the owner.
The FIR said that the SBCA officials were aware of the ruins of the building over the years until the collapse. He added that the officials “completely failed” to fulfill their official duty and “committed negligence and carelessness.”
The FIR also said that the officials “deliberately” did not mention in the official registry that the building was in ruins. He also added that the current owner of the building and other unknown owners also knew that it was not habitable for humans. Despite this, the owners gave several floors rent the members of the Hindu community and committed negligence.
The plaintiff said he wanted legal procedures against the officials of the SBCA and the owners of the building.
