ISLAMABAD: Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Memon stated on Wednesday that it is not feasible for the government to provide housing for all residents living in dilapidated buildings, following the tragic collapse of a building in Karachi’s Lyari area that killed 27 people.
The five-story building on Fida Husain Shaikha Road in Lea Market collapsed on Friday morning, and rescue operations concluded on Sunday. Despite the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) having issued multiple warnings to vacate the structure, the building had remained occupied. The authorities had declared it uninhabitable due to its deteriorating condition. The SBCA’s records show that notices were issued to residents since 2023, urging them to vacate the building.
Speaking to a local media outlet, Memon acknowledged the challenging reality faced by the provincial government. “There are 740 dilapidated buildings across Sindh, 51 of which are in extremely dangerous conditions, and 11 have been vacated,” Memon stated.
He further emphasized that 48-hour orders have been issued for the evacuation of other buildings in a bid to prevent further disasters.
However, Memon made it clear that while the government would strive to provide shelter to those in need, it could not provide housing for every resident in these high-risk structures. “There is no law that obligates the government to provide housing to every individual in a dilapidated building,” he noted. “Whatever space is available with the government, we will use it to house the most deserving residents who have no other housing options,” he added.
The statement came after the Sindh government suspended SBCA Director General Ishaque Khuhro in connection with the building collapse. Several other SBCA officials, including the director, deputy director, and inspectors assigned to Lyari, were also suspended.
Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani confirmed the decision and mentioned that the government had announced a compensation of Rs1 million for the families of the deceased.
The opposition, including major political parties such as PTI, MQM-P, and Jamaat-i-Islami, condemned the Sindh government, accusing them of negligence and demanding compensation for affected families.
They also called for criminal charges, including manslaughter, to be brought against the officials responsible for the incident.
This recent tragedy adds to a series of deadly building collapses in Karachi, raising concerns about the safety of residents in poorly maintained buildings. Previous incidents include a deadly collapse in Bhains Colony in April, which killed a 10-year-old girl, and another in Shah Faisal Colony in October 2023, where five people died.
In June 2020, a similar collapse in Lyari resulted in 22 fatalities, and in March 2020, another building collapse in Gulbahar killed 27. In 2011, a tragedy in Lyari’s Musa Lane killed 33 people. These recurring incidents underscore the urgency of addressing the issue of dilapidated buildings across the city.
