Saeed Ghani admits officials facilitate illegal construction

KARACHI: Sindh Minister for Local Government Saeed Ghani said that 588 buildings in Karachi are deemed unsafe, with 456 of these located in the South District alone.

Speaking during ARY News programme ‘Aitraz Hai’, the minister said that 16 dangeour buildings have been evacuated over the past few months, though some critically unsafe ones remain occupied despite ‘efforts’ to clear them.

“Forceful evictions attract criticism, but we will proceed with action against unsafe buildings regardless,” Saeed Ghani added.

He said that Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has called a high-level meeting on the dangerous buildings in Karachi.

Speaking on the recent collapse of a building in Karachi’s Lyari in which at least 21 person lost their lives, the local government minister said a team tried to evacuate the same building just days before the incident but the attempt he said faced resistance from the residents.

“The government tries to vacate unsafe buildings after issuing notices,” he added.

‘Officials involved in illegal constructions’

Saeed Ghani conceded that some officials of the concerned departments are involved in illegal constructions.

He said that the current laws do not allow the government to take strict action against so-called builders.

“We are working on amending the law, with consultations currently underway,” he vowed to impose stricter penalties on those responsible for illegal constructions and their agents involved in buying and selling such properties.

Saeed Ghani also called for harsh measures against citizens purchasing these buildings. He said that the Sindh government is also working to launch an app to guide the public, providing information on the legal status of constructions.

Meanwhile, the death toll from the collapse of a five-storey residential building in Karachi’s Lyari Baghdadi area has climbed to 21, with rescue teams recovering two more bodies from the rubble, according to officials from Rescue 1122.

The officials confirmed that 21 bodies have been retrieved so far, with fears that more individuals may still be trapped under the rubble. The operation, now in its second day, is expected to take at least eight more hours to complete due to the complexity of the debris removal process.

The devastating incident occurred as a six-storey residential building collapsed in the Baghdadi area of Lyari, Karachi.

The collapsed building, constructed in 1974, had been declared dangerous by the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) three years ago, with multiple notices issued to residents to vacate the premises.