SUKKUR: Chief Mini­ster’s Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Sports and Wildlife Mir Bangul Khan Mahar on Sunday asked Sports Secretary Syed Imtiaz Ali Shah to constitute a committee to look into the allegation of substandard material being used in the construction of Rs80 million worth sports complex in Khanpur Mahar.

The move followed collapse of a wall of the under-construction complex building on Saturday. Three labourers — Abdul Sattar, Razi and Allah Bachayo — who injured in the incident told local reporters at the Shaikh Hamadan bin Mohammad Taluka Hospital during treatment that use of substandard material in the construction work caused collapse of the wall.

No official statement about a cause of the wall’s collapse was issued more than 24 hours after the incident. Nor did the contractor concerned came up with his version.

The complex is being built in a locality near Khanpur Mahar bypass to provide sports and other entertainment facilities to the people of the town and other areas of Ghotki district.

Mir Bangul Khan Mahar took notice of the incident and approached the sports secretary to ascertain facts. He told the secretary to form a technical committee to look into the matter and hoped that the committee would submit its report within a week.

The labourers said that they were busy working in the building when a newly built wall next to them suddenly collapsed. They claimed that the cement blocks being used in the construction work were of substandard quality. They said they would not work at the site as the structure was dangerous.

The incident has caused an uproar with activists of various political and social organisations demanding a fair probe into the matter and action against the officials concerned as well as the contractor.

Published in Dawn, October 21st, 2019