Families hit by building collapse: JI calls for rent compensation, alternative housing

KARACHI: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi Chief Monem Zafar has called for six months of rent compensation and the provision of alternative housing for families affected by the recent building collapse in the Lyari area.

During a visit to the site on Friday, Monem expressed sorrow over the loss of lives in the incident and extended condolences to the grieving families. He also underscored the need for urgent support to those displaced, stressing that immediate relief measures be ensured by the authorities.

While addressing the media at the scene, he voiced concern over what he described as a lack of regulatory oversight by the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA). He pointed out that in many areas of Karachi; high-rise buildings have been constructed on plots as small as 40 to 60 square yards without proper monitoring.

Citing a report, he said that nearly 100,000 buildings had been erected in the city over the past five years, with an estimated 85 percent lacking formal approval. Monem emphasized that unchecked construction and regulatory lapses pose a serious threat to public safety.

He stated that both the SBCA and the Sindh government should take responsibility for the incident, urging reforms to prevent such tragedies in the future. “Karachi has gradually turned into a concrete jungle due to unregulated and often unsafe development,” he remarked.

Eight lives were lost in the tragic collapse and several others sustained injuries.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025