Unsafe buildings: ABAD underscores need for comprehensive reforms

KARACHI: The Association of Builders and Developers (ABAD) has demanded for immediate legislative action and comprehensive reforms to address the growing crisis of unsafe buildings in Karachi following the recent tragic collapse of a five-story building in Lyari.

Speaking at a press conference held at ABAD House, Muhammad Hassan Bakhshi said that the competent authority should take immediate legislative action and comprehensive reforms to address the growing crisis of unsafe buildings in Karachi to avert tragic incidents of building collapse in the city.

Bakhshi along with Senior Vice Chairman Syed Afzal Hameed, Vice Chairman Tariq Aziz, and other said that the city has witnessed 12 such incidents resulting in 150 deaths over the past few years, attributing these tragedies to “corruption, greed, and negligence.”

The ABAD chairman also criticised the Sindh government for failing to enact proper legislation regarding dilapidated buildings, adding that a disturbing pattern where property owners deliberately wait for buildings to collapse to claim plot ownership was observed.

He requested the Sindh government to find solutions for approximately 700 identified unsafe buildings across the city.

“These buildings should be inspected with the assistance of National Engineering Services Pakistan (NESPAK),” he urged.

ABAD chairman also pointed out the widespread illegal construction in the city, where additional floors are being added to existing structures without proper authorisation.

“These constructions put public life and property at risk,” he said and added that such buildings typically have a lifespan of only 15-20 years.

Bakhshi alleged that local administration, police, and relevant authorities are complicit in these illegal activities, while vulnerable populations are forced to live in these dangerous structures.

He urged the government to increase compensation amount from Rs 1 million to Rs 2.5 million.

The chairman ABAD further revealed that over the past seven years, authorities like MDA and LDA have collected over Rs 25 billion rupees for residential schemes that have never been delivered to the public.

Bakhshi proposed that ABAD could construct dilapidated buildings within 700 days and is prepared to build 100,000 houses if requested by the Sindh government, suggesting the government to collaborate with Chinese companies in this regards.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025