July 29, 2002	Monday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 18,1423

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ISLAMABAD, July 28: An amount of Rs100 million is required for the repair and renovation of the Shaheed-i-Millat Secretariat building which was gutted early this year.

This has been observed by a team of army’s engineering corps in a report submitted to the government after thorough examination of the 17-storied building.

Informed sources in the Establishment Division told Dawn that both the People’s Works Department and the disbanded Chief Executive’s Inspection Commission had been asked to report whether the building could be repaired.

The report had been sought by the authorities after some engineers of different government and private organizations expressed apprehensions that the building might have developed some serious defects after the fire and would have to be demolished.

However, the two bodies failed to prepare a report in this regard, hence the engineering corps of Pakistan Army was asked to examine the building.

The army team, using modern equipment, analyzed the hardness of the building and the state of its iron structure. It was found that the iron structure was intact and the building could be renovated if some affected portions of the walls and pillars were repaired.

The government has already allocated Rs300 million for the repair and renovation, and shifting of the three ministries and other offices back to the building.