Latest news with #SindhBuildingControlOrdinance
Express Tribune
5 days ago
- Business
- Express Tribune
Breaching fire codes
Listen to article The massive blaze that engulfed Millennium Mall on Karachi's Rashid Minhas Road, gutting over 500 shops and threatening nearby residential buildings, is indicative of a city operating in violation of its own safety laws. Despite the scale of the damage, this fire is not unprecedented. Before this, a similar inferno tore through the Chase Store on Shaheed-e-Millat Road. These recurring disasters point to one central truth that commercial buildings in Karachi continue to flout fire safety codes with impunity, and authorities continue to look the other way. Under the Sindh Building Control Ordinance and Karachi Building and Town Planning Regulations, all commercial structures are legally required to maintain clear fire exits, install smoke detectors, provide fire extinguishers and undergo regular inspections by the fire department. Yet, enforcement remains almost non-existent. Millennium Mall, like many others in the city, lacked essential safeguards. The fire intensified when it reached the chillers on the rooftop — an area often neglected in safety assessments. These are not unfortunate oversights. They are systemic failures. What Karachi desperately needs is a coordinated fire risk audit of all commercial complexes — especially malls, plazas and high-rise residential-commercial hybrids. Occupancy certificates must be made conditional on compliance with fire codes, not merely on paper but through on-site inspections. No building should be allowed to operate without clearance from the civil defence and fire safety departments. Moreover, penalties for non-compliance must be revisited. Token fines do little to deter developers and owners who cut corners to save costs. Where gross negligence is established, closures and criminal liability must follow. For a city of over 20 million people, Karachi's firefighting capacity remains woefully inadequate. Expanding fire brigade resource must be treated as a municipal priority, not a budgetary afterthought.
Express Tribune
15-05-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
SBCA withdraws Karachi order allowing commercial use of residential plots
Listen to article The Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) has withdrawn its notification permitting commercial activities on residential plots. A written statement confirming the withdrawal was submitted to the Sindh High Court by SBCA Director General Muhammad Ishaq Khuhro. The High Court was hearing petitions filed against SBCA's move to allow commercial use of residential plots. In its written response, SBCA stated that it was rescinding the notification issued on March 13, 2025. Following this, the court disposed of petitions filed by Jamaat-e-Islami and others. The petitions, submitted by City Council Opposition Leader Saifuddin Advocate and nine town chairpersons, argued that SBCA had amended the Karachi Building and Town Planning Regulations to change the definition of amenity plots. They contended that amenity plots cannot legally be used for purposes other than their original intent. The petitioners further claimed that the amendment removed 'healthcare' from the list of approved uses for amenity plots and that residential land was being repurposed for education, healthcare, and recreational use without public consent. They argued that the revision also eliminated the public's right to object to land transfers. Separately, SBCA has revoked the recent amendments made to the 2002 Karachi Building and Town Planning Regulations. This reversal followed a policy review of the changes introduced through the March notification. According to the latest SBCA circular, the amendments have been annulled with immediate effect. The authority exercised its powers under Section 21-A of the Sindh Building Control Ordinance, 1979, and other relevant provisions. The circular was officially signed by Director General Muhammad Ishaq Khuhro.
