Dysfunctional elevators grab minister’s attention

Secretariat’s five out of 14 elevators are currently serving hundreds of employees, visitors

ISLAMABAD:

At least nine elevators of the multi-storey building of the Secretariat located in the Red Zone of the federal capital have been malfunctioning for a long time, causing immense inconvenience to hundreds of employees and visitors.   

Federal Minister Abdul Aleem Khan, who sits in the same building, was the first who took notice of the situation and expressed his anger at those responsible.

The company that manages the elevators complains that three times in the last two years, the electrical wires were stolen from the building due to which the elevators are damaged.

The 11-storey Secretariat accommodates 15 ministries including IT, religious affairs, privatisation, anti-narcotics and human rights. As many as 14 elevators were installed in this high-rise out of which only five are working at present.

Of these five elevators, one is reserved for cargo delivery, two for ministers, senior officials and VIPs, and only two elevators are functional for citizens and the ministries’ staff. There are hundreds of officers and officials of these ministries who have to wait for a long for the elevators or climb dozens of stairs.

After spotting a majority of elevators dysfunctional, Abdul Aleem Khan, who recently assumed charge of the privatisation ministry, took notice of this situation, expressed his anger on the concerned authorities and directed them to solve the matter.

The maintenance of the high-rise is the responsibility of the Public Works Department (PWD), a subsidiary of the Ministry of Housing and Works.

When contacted, PWD sub-engineer Haroonur Rasheed said that some thieves stole electricity wires worth millions of rupees from Kohsar Block due to which some elevators were out of order.

“At least three thefts have taken place and complaints have already been lodged with the police. Now we have written a letter to the Ministry of Interior to provide security,” Haroon said.

It is worth noting that the police concerned have yet to trace and arrest the suspects despite having CCTV cameras in the building.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 21^st, 2024.