KARACHI: The prosecution on Tuesday moved to a sessions court against the refusal of a judicial magistrate to grant police remand of eight Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) officials and two owners in the Lyari building collapse case.

A day earlier, Judicial Magistrate (South) Kalsoom Mustafa Sahto had rejected the investigating officer’s (IO) request seeking an 11-day extension in the physical remand of the held suspects and sent them to prison on judicial remand.

On Tuesday, the prosecution approached the sessions court and sought physical remand of the suspects for further investigation.

After a preliminary hearing, the additional district and sessions judge (South) issued notices to the prosecution, defence counsel and the IO for Wednesday (today) to hear the revision application.

In the application, the prosecution stated that the investigation with the suspects remained incomplete, as the court had earlier granted a three-day remand during which a public holiday also fell, hindering the progress of the investigation, state prosecutor Rana M. Khalique Jammu told Dawn.

He added that the suspects had allegedly concealed relevant documents required for the investigation, and therefore their physical custody was essential for the recovery of those documents and to apprehend the remaining suspects.

Hearing of post-arrest bail applications today

Meanwhile, the sessions court is also set to hear on Wednesday (today) the post-arrest bail applications filed by five SBCA officials.

In the applications, counsel for SBCA Director Mirza Zargham Haider argued that the FIR was lodged five days after the incident without any plausible explanation, which cast doubt on the prosecution’s case.

He contended that the FIR and subsequent inquiry failed to assign any specific or wilful role to the applicant in connection with the tragic incident.

The counsel further submitted that from 2022 to 2025, the SBCA had issued multiple public notices warning occupants of various dilapidated and dangerous buildings, including the one in Lyari that unfortunately collapsed.

He maintained that no incriminating document or item had been recovered from the applicant, and that all relevant official records were already in the possession of the prosecution, eliminating any risk of tampering with evidence.

Another official, Ashfaq Hussain Khokhar, submitted that he had been suspended from his position as SBCA director on May 6, 2025, and therefore could not be held responsible for the incident, as he had already been relieved of his duties by then.

The applicant further stated that the collapsed building had been constructed in 1986, whereas the SBCA was established in 2011, adding that prior to the SBCA, matters relating to building permissions fell under the jurisdiction of the Karachi Building Control Authority.

All five applicants claimed innocence, maintained they had been falsely implicated in the case, and prayed to the court to grant them post-arrest bail.

Published in Dawn, July 16th, 2025