KARACHI – In the wake of the tragic building collapse in Lyari that claimed 27 lives, the Sindh government has decided to take decisive action by demolishing severely dilapidated structures across Karachi to prevent future incidents.
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon, Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani, and Interior Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar shared details of a high-level meeting held earlier in the day following the Lyari incident.
Speaking to the media, Saeed Ghani said that although the loss of human life cannot be compensated, the government has approved Rs 1 million in financial aid for each affected family. He acknowledged that the victims belonged to extremely poor backgrounds.
Ghani also announced that several officials of the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) had been suspended, including director-level officers and those currently posted in the affected area.
He said the government is also identifying the officials who were in charge in 2022, the year the ill-fated building was officially declared hazardous.
The minister revealed that 51 buildings in Karachi have been classified as highly dangerous, and directed the Karachi Commissioner to submit a detailed report within 24 hours including the number of residents and housing units, so that demolition work can begin without delay.
He further added that 588 buildings have been declared unsafe in total. “We will conduct a thorough review of these structures to determine which ones need to be immediately demolished and which can be restored through repairs,” he said.
Saeed Ghani also urged citizens to verify approvals and legal status of any residential project before purchasing flats or plots, emphasizing the importance of due diligence in property transactions.
The move comes after a five-storey residential building collapsed last week in Karachi’s Lyari Baghdadi area, where six families were residing.
The tragic incident has so far claimed in 27 confirmed fatalities as highlighted the urgent need for stricter enforcement of building safety regulations in the city.
