Eight SBCA officers get bail in building collapse case

Various committees, utility providers responsible for facilitating unrecorded structure

Listen to article

KARACHI:

An Additional District and Sessions Judge (South) has approved the bail applications for eight officers of the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) who were arrested following the tragic incident of building collapse in Lyari's Baghdadi area. Each officer has been ordered to submit a surety bond of Rs1 million.

During the hearing, the court questioned the duration of posting of the accused and their specific roles. Defence lawyer Shahab Sarki Advocate contended that the accused had no direct involvement in the collapse, and their official postings were not explicitly linked to the case. He noted that the building, constructed in 1986, had not obtained NOC at the time of its construction. 

When the court inquired if the building was constructed illegally. The defence confirmed that the SBCA had no records of it. The court then asked whether any notice had been issued declaring the building as dangerous. The lawyer replied that no such notice was issued, nor was the building officially declared hazardous.

"Then whose negligence is this?" the court pressed. Sarki responded by questioning how an illegally constructed building was provided with essential utility connections like electricity, gas, and water. He attributed negligence to various committees, including the demolition committee (headed by the deputy commissioner, with members like the SSP and assistant commissioner), another committee involving the SBCA director general, Mukhtiarkar, and other officers, and the supervision committee (chaired by the commissioner, with the additional IG and other members).

Sarki also pointed out that in 2024, the SBCA had declared 722 buildings dangerous and advised evacuation, raising the question of why K-Electric provided utility connections to the building in question.
The prosecutor asserted that the inquiry report clearly identified the roles of the accused. However, when the court asked if the accused were specifically named in the inquiry, the defence stated they had not received the report and that the building was not specifically mentioned within it.

According to the report, accused officer Zargham Haider served for four months, Ashfaq Khokhar for a total of nine months over two tenures, and Faheem Murtaza for only two months in 2024. Another defence lawyer, Mustafa Advocate, added that Irfan Haider served for only one month. He asked for a thorough investigation. 

The defence further highlighted that Lyari is a sensitive area and the SBCA lacks a proper enforcement force. He pointed out that this is an inquiry case with no charge sheet (challan) presented yet, advocating for the formation of a Joint Investigation Team (JIT). 

The court also observed that the sections applied in the case appeared weak and reiterated that it is the state's responsibility to compensate the victims.

21 SBCA officers served final show cause notices

Director General (DG) of Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) has issued final show-cause notices to 21 SBCA officers in Central District, directing them to submit their replies within a week. 

In January 2025, these officers were initially served show-cause notices over allegations of collusion with the builder mafia, but no action had been taken so far. Following the SBCA DG Shahmeer Khan Bhutto directive, the inquiry has now been reactivated after a six-month pause.DG Shahmeer has initiated strict departmental proceedings against government officers and officials facilitating illegal constructions in Karachi. 

The officers facing disciplinary action include assistant directors Shiraz Nazir, Jangi Khan Magsi, Asad Khan, Murtaza Tunio, Dileep Kumar, Majid Ali Magsi, Syed Muzammil Hussain and Fayaz Hussain Mehr. Also named are Deputy Director Aftab Ahmed Soomro, Inspectors Abid Ali Bhutto, Shahid Hussain Jokhio, Aamirul Hasan, Aurangzeb Khan, Taufiq Ansari, and Syed Javed Qadeer, along with several other officials. 

According to sources, these officers allegedly played a direct role in enabling unauthorized constructions across Central District. Earlier this year, they were ordered to take action against illegal structures but reportedly failed to comply with the directives. 

Insiders further revealed that the SBCA is preparing a separate list of officers allegedly involved in similar illegal activities in Karachi's East District.