After two-year delay, SBCA issues fire safety directives

After the tragic fire incident at Gul Plaza and the ongoing backlash from the public over the lack of firefighting resources and emergency exits, the SBCA, after a two-year delay, has finally decided to look after the safety precautions in fire incidents.

The result is a situation that has attracted complaints from constructors, developers, and civil society, in that the fire safety audit report on the KMC by the building regulator has been pending for more than two years after being notified.

The measures were called “too little, too late” by the SBCA’s sudden notices to building owners, in which the authority was accused of criminal negligence, while the number of lives that might have been saved if the notices had been heeded sooner was questioned.

“Since SBCA will not be able to attain the desired objectives without the cooperation of your members regarding this issue, we, therefore, request you to instruct your members to immediately act on the fire safety deficiencies pointed out in the audit reports within three days, as it requires utmost urgency,” stated a SBCA letter to ABAD Chairman.

The KMC in January 2024 prepared a report on fire safety in hundreds of buildings in Karachi, in the aftermath of a fatal fire incident at RJ Mall on Rashid Minhas Road in 2023.

At least 265 buildings were found to be irregular regarding fire safety measures, exits, or a fire brigade no-objection certificate, which means that in the event of a fire, these buildings could encounter disastrous results.

However, the SBCA has taken up the recommendations from the above report only after the Gul Plaza tragedy occurred, and that is more than two years ago.

“Muhammad Hassan Bakhshi, the ABAD chairman - who has been asked by the SBCA to ‘cooperate’ in implementing the fire compliance requirements “within three days” - said he heard about this report for the “first time.”

However, he stated that the SBCA had never come up to him on this matter before, but now it seemed that the authority is "trying to complete years of inaction in a matter of days."

“These surveys and their implementation will only open another door to corruption,” Mr Bakhshi warned.