Karachi Monsoon Safety: Municipal Officers, Agencies to Face FIRs if Billboards Collapse

KARACHI: Taking preventive measures ahead of the monsoon season, the Karachi administration has ordered the removal of unprotected and illegal billboards from across the city, ARY News reported.

A high-level meeting was held, chaired by Commissioner Karachi Hassan Naqvi.

During the meeting, the commissioner stated that all billboards installed on public properties are illegal.

He directed the deputy commissioners (DCs) of all districts to take strict preventive measures regarding these structures.

Furthermore, he instructed town administrations and local government bodies to establish vigilance committees to inspect the safety standards of existing billboards.

The commissioner warned that cases will be registered against both the respective town officer and the advertising agency involved if an illegal billboard is found.

He reiterated that all gantries, billboards, and hoardings on public property are entirely unlawful.

If any accidents involving a billboard occur during the monsoon rains, the relevant municipal commissioner will be held responsible for the mishap.

The meeting concluded with the decision that prompt action will be taken, and an FIR will be registered against the responsible officer in the event of an accident.

Earlier today, the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) carried out an anti-encroachment operation in Orangi Town, Karachi and recovered valuable land belonging to the Red Crescent Society after nearly four decades of illegal occupation.

During the operation in Orangi Town No. 5, authorities demolished more than 100 illegally constructed shops built on the land, which had been allocated for the construction of a hospital.

According to officials, the land had been under the control of an encroachment mafia for around 40 years, during which commercial activities were being carried out on the site.

Chairman of the Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) Sindh Branch had repeatedly approached Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, the Karachi commissioner, and SBCA officials, requesting action to recover the encroached property.

Following these efforts, the SBCA launched an operation against the encroachers and cleared the commercial market established on the hospital land.

Authorities also confiscated goods during the operation and issued warning notices to prevent the land from being illegally occupied again.

Officials said the Red Crescent Society now plans to construct a hospital on the recovered land to provide free medical facilities to the public.