KARACHI: Police on Monday arrested a builder, said to be a police employee, on charges of using substandard material, negligence and illegal construction of a six-storey building that collapsed in Moosa Colony on July 18, causing damages to nearby homes and shops.

SSP-Central Maroof Usman said that the builder, identified as Amir, was arrested and officials of the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) were also booked in the case pertaining to negligence.

He said a deputy director of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation had lodged an FIR at the Gulberg police station, but the complainant did not mention names of any officials.

The SSP said that original owner(s) had sold the plots to the held builder.

KMC Gulberg Town deputy Director Mohammed Arif Kazmi in his complaint stated that the plot no 1113 (residential-cum-commercial) measuring 77.08 square yards situated at Moosa Colony was leased out in favour of Shams-ul-Haq in 1996 and plot no 1114 (commercial) measuring 51.41 square yards was also leased out in favour of the said person in the same year.

“The construction over the two plots was raised without a no-objection certificate or an approved building plan, which is illegal/unlawful,” the FIR said.

The held builder had purchased the plots for Rs10 million and within four days, he sold the plots for over Rs13m.

The FIR was lodged under Sections 286 (negligent conduct with explosive substance), 288 (negligent conduct with building), 290 (public nuisance), 119 (public servant concealing design), 427 (mischief), 109 (abetment), 114 (abettor present when offence committed) and 34 (common intention) of Pakistan Penal Code.

It said that the building collapsed as substandard material was used.

Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2022