The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday issued notices to the Sindh’s home, finance and local government secretaries, Director General Building Control Authority (SBCA) and other respondents on a petition seeking alternative places to the people living in dangerous buildings.
Human Rights Commission of Pakistan Secretary General Rana Faizul Hassan filed the petition citing MD Karachi Water & Sewerage Board, MD Sui Southern Gas Company, Chief Executive K-Electric, Sindh’s home secretary, finance secretary, local government secretary, senior member Board of Revenue Sindh, Administrator Karachi, Commissioner Karachi, Director MPGO as respondents.
The petitioner stated that the SBCA had already declared 288 buildings of the metropolis as dangerous. The SBCA declared 224 buildings unsafe to live in Saddar Town, 20 in Lyari, 11 in Jamshed Town, three each in Keamari and Baldia towns, two each in Malir and Shah Faisal towns and one each in North Nazimabad, Site, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Korangi and Gulberg. The petitioner said that over six thousand people were living dangerously in these shabby buildings.
According to the petitioner, one of such 288 buildings collapsed on 29th July 2015 in Karachi’s Kharadar area. He said people were compelled to live in these buildings due to unavailability of alternative residences. The petitioner pleaded the court to direct relevant authorities to provide alternative shelters to the people of these dangerous buildings to save precious lives of six thousand people.
