Eight SBCA officers get bail in building collapse case

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.

He noted that in 2024, SBCA had declared 722 buildings dangerous, yet utility services continued-highlighting systemic failures. The prosecutor claimed the inquiry identified roles of the accused, but defence lawyers argued the building wasn't named in the report and they hadn't received a copy. The inquiry listed short tenures of officials including Zargham Haider (four months), Ashfaq Khokhar (nine months), Faheem Murtaza (two months), and Irfan Haider (one month). Defence lawyer Mustafa Advocate urged a thorough investigation, citing SBCA's weak enforcement in sensitive areas like Lyari.

SBCA DG Shahmeer Khan Bhutto has issued final show-cause notices to 21 SBCA officers in Central District, directing them to submit their replies within a week.