Illegal high-rises — a ticking time bomb

Despite court orders, construction mafia remains unchecked

KARACHI:

It's been exactly five years since a seven-storey building, constructed on a 74 square yard plot in Gulbahar neighbourhood of Karachi, collapsed. As a result, 27 people, including eight women and three children, lost their lives in the unfortunate incident. A case of illegal construction went to court, and the owner of the building and his four family members were convicted of manslaughter - intended as a deterrent to the unlawful activity. However, after a brief pause, the prohibited activity sporadically resumed.

Liaquatabad, a neighborhood in Karachi's district central, is home to numerous unauthorised buildings that defy safety norms. These structures, as high as six floors, are built on tiny plots of land, typically around 90 square yards.

The area is dotted with such buildings in various stages of construction, each comprising around a dozen portions to accommodate multiple families. This has put a strain on the already fragile civic infrastructure. Specific examples of such high-rises can be found on plots 328, 333, 372, 389, and 400 in Block 10 of Liaquatabad.

It's alarming that hazardous construction can continue unchecked, seemingly with the complicity of local police and Sindh Building Control Authority officials, despite resident protests and court orders to crack down on the builder mafia.

The SBCA's Annual Performance Report for 2024, issued on January one, 2025, reports that over 1,500 illegal constructions were demolished or faced legal action across Sindh, including Karachi's seven districts. This raises questions about whether the SBCA staff failed to notice the illegal structures in Liaquatabad, which have been under construction for six months to a year.

The acquittal of eight SBCA officials in the infamous Gulbahar building collapse case may have had a troubling consequence. The prosecution's failure to prove charges against them may have emboldened those involved in the corrupt nexus of builders, officials, and law enforcers.

Perhaps, the benefit of the doubt given to eight SBCA officials in the infamous Gulbahar building collapse case - as the prosecution failed to prove charges against them. It seems the authorities are only waiting for another Gulbahar-like tragedy to spur them into action.