The Sindh High Court has summoned a senior government official after the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) submitted that it lacked manpower to operate all fire tenders.
A two-judge bench headed by Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar also directed the commissioner office to file a report whether a reference was sent to the registrar of the SHC for appointment of magistrates at district level as provided in the civil defence laws.
The bench directed the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) to come up with a final progress report about a mechanism for approval of building plan after obtaining no-objection certificates (NOCs) from the civil defence and fire departments till April 8.
When the bench took up for hearing a petition seeking implementation of Building Code of Pakistan and Fire Safety Provisions 2016 across the province, Assistant Commissioner Aijaz Rind filed a compliance report on behalf of the commissioner office and submitted that a helpline number (1299) had been made functional to meet any emergency.
SBCA director environment and building Irfan Haider informed the bench that in compliance with its earlier order, theSindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) director general had convened a meeting with an official of civil defence and he placed some viable proposals including a provision of fire exit door to meet any emergency in each flat site and commercial as well as industrial buildings.
KMC’s Chief Fire Officer Mubin Ahmed said that he had also attended the meeting and submitted some proposals for incorporating in the approval letter for buildings.
The bench directed the director-SBCA to come up with the final progress report on the next hearing.
