Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Memon said on Thursday that nine unsafe buildings in Karachi’s Lyari area have been vacated, with demolition work underway on one of them, Express News reported.
The development follows the collapse of a five-storey residential building in Lyari’s Baghdadi area last week, which claimed 27 lives and left 10 others injured.
In response, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah suspended the Director General of the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) and constituted an inquiry committee to investigate the incident.
In a statement, Memon said the newly appointed SBCA Director General Shahmir Khan Bhutto has ordered all officers to submit details of their assets within 15 days. He warned that strict action would be taken against officials involved in the construction or protection of illegal buildings.
Read More: Heads roll after Lyari tragedy
Meanwhile, a case has been registered in connection with the Lyari building collapse. Police have taken into custody several senior officers of the SBCA as well as the owners of the building.
According to officials, special teams have been formed to arrest those named in the FIR, which has been sealed. In a raid at the SBCA office, police detained eight senior officers, including a former official, for questioning.
Those detained include Additional Director General Irfan Naqvi, Zargham Shah, Asif Rizvi, Ashfaq Khokhar, Deputy Director Faheem Siddiqui, Assistant Director Zulfiqar Shah, Faheem Murtaza, and retired Director Asif Rizvi. The building owners have also been apprehended.
Sources said the detained officials are being questioned regarding illegal constructions in the Lyari area.
Also Read: SBCA director-general dismissed over Lyari building collapse
Touching on the province’s power sector, the minister announced that the Sindh government will unveil the Sindh Electric Policy 2024 next month. As part of the plan to spur industrial growth, a subsidy of Rs18 per unit will be offered for electricity in the Nooriabad and Dhabeji industrial zones.
He also said the Environmental Protection Agency has launched a crackdown on illegal sewage discharge at Sea View, directing inspection teams to submit a report within 48 hours.
Regarding consumer rights, Memon noted that NEPRA has instructed K-Electric and other power companies to refund overcharged amounts to consumers for April and May 2025. A refund of Rs4.035 and 50 paisa per unit is to be issued.
The minister further expressed concern over the termination of 800 employees of the Utility Stores Corporation in Sindh, calling the decision “regrettable.” He said the employees have not been reinstated despite a court order.
