Sindh’s main minister Sharjeel Memon said on Thursday that nine dangerous buildings in the Karachi Lyari region had been canceled, with ongoing demolition work on one of them, Express News reported.
The development follows the collapse of a five -story residential building in the Lyari Baghdadi region last week, which cost 27 lives and made 10 others injured.
In response, the Sindh -Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah suspended the director general of the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) and was an investigation committee to investigate the incident.
In a statement, Memon said that the director general of the SBCA newly appointed Shahmir Khan Bhutto had ordered all the officers to submit details on their assets within 15 days. He warned that strict measures would be taken against those involved in the construction or protection of illegal buildings.
Learn more: The heads roll after the tragedy of Lyari
Meanwhile, a case was recorded in connection with the collapse of the Lyari building. The police have placed in police custody several senior SBCA officers as well as the owners of the building.
According to managers, special teams have been trained to arrest those named in the FIR, which was sealed. During a raid at the SBCA office, the police arrested eight senior officers, including a former official, for interrogation.
The detained persons include the additional director general Irfan Naqvi, Zargham Shah, Asif Rizvi, Ashfaq Khokhar, the deputy director Faheem Siddiqui, the deputy director Zulfiqar Shah, Faheem Murtaza, and the retirement director Asif Rizvi. Building owners were also apprehended.
Sources have said that held officials are questioned about illegal constructions in the Lyari region.
Also read: The director general of the SBCA rejected the collapse of the Lyari building
By approaching the power sector of the province, the Minister announced that the Sindh government would unveil the Sindh 2024 electrical policy next month. As part of the plan to stimulate industrial growth, an RS18 subsidy per unit will be offered for electricity in the industrial areas of Nooriabad and Dhabeji.
He also said that the Environmental Protection Agency had launched a repression of the release of illegal wastewater in Sea View, ordering the inspection teams to submit a report within 48 hours.
With regard to consumer rights, Memon noted that NEPRA has asked the K-Electric electric companies and other electricity companies to reimburse the overcharging amounts to consumers for April and May 2025. A reimbursement of RS4.035 and 50 paisa per unit must be issued.
The Minister also expressed his concern concerning the cessation of 800 employees of the Sindh public service company, qualifying the decision as “regrettable”. He said that the employees had not been reinstated despite a court order.
