WHILE it was already apparent that death traps dot Karachi, a safety audit by the Sindh government has thrown up alarming figures: more than half of the city’s audited commercial, industrial and residential buildings lack adequate fire safety systems. Only 370 out of the 783 buildings assessed were in “substantial compliance” with fire safety rules. Disturbingly, 416 lacked emergency exits, 310 did not have fire extinguishers, and 239 were categorised as high risk. Past horrors — from the Baldia factory arson in 2012 to the Gul Plaza blaze this year — have not moved the authorities. Meanwhile, Karachi’s chronic failure to control the mushroom growth of multistorey structures worsens its building safety problem. Compliance with key parameters — approved layouts, mandatory emergency exits, alarms and portable fire extinguishers — by builders and architects remains elusive. Despite frequent fires that consume homes and businesses, accountability is missing, exposing citizens to more tragedies.

Other parts of the country, too, have witnessed similar fire hazards created by infrastructural lapses and poorly enforced safety regulations. Additionally, inflammable materials, shoddy wiring, tight spaces and overcrowding are a recipe for disaster. In Lahore this year, a Gulberg hotel fire left three dead, while another destroyed two floors of the Planning and Development Board. Earlier, flames at the Children Hospital’s outpatient department gutted medicines worth millions. Investment in emergency services and implementation of safety codes must be supported by fortified power systems. When fires erupt, firefighters are left to grapple with water shortages, outdated equipment, encroachments that choke access, and scarcity of personnel. It is also time the provincial governments sent notices to builders, owners and planners for non-compliance with fire procedures and conducted regular inspections of premises under construction. If regulators tasked with enforcing the rules continue to face political pressure, illegal alterations will proliferate.

Published in Dawn, July 24th, 2026