Urban planners, fire safety experts, civil society representatives, and labour rights activists have called for immediate reforms to prevent recurring fire tragedies in the urban centre of the country. They expressed serious concerns over fire safety, weak building regulations, and the absence of workers’ protection mechanisms in the public building.
They were speaking at a multi-stakeholder dialogue titled ‘Fire Safety: Building Regulations and Workers Protection’ organised by The Knowledge Forum at the Karachi Press Club, according to a statement released today.
Amber Alibhai of Shehri-Citizens for a Better Environment (CBE) highlighted the lack of awareness among both citizens and government agencies regarding fire safety.
She criticised the provincial government for converting public spaces into commercial areas without ensuring basic safety provisions. ‘Many commercial buildings do not even have fire extinguishers. In case of fire, there are no emergency exits or alternative escape routes,’ she said, adding that such negligence places thousands of lives at risk on a daily basis.
Occupational Health and Safety expert Naeem Sadiq suggested forming a citizens commission to monitor the health and safety arrangements in public places. The Commission should ensure that building bylaws are enforced, launch awareness campaigns, advocate for increasing fire stations and personnel, and prioritise safety over security.
He said that the city’s resources and response capacity have failed to keep pace with rapid urbanisation.
Referring to past tragedies such as the Baldia factory fire, he said that despite repeated incidents, no serious or sustained debate had taken place. ‘Over a thousand people have lost their lives due to chemical exposure, suffocation, and boiler explosions,’ he remarked.
He also highlighted the deaths of over 300 sanitary workers across Pakistan while cleaning manholes, terming it a failure of occupational safety systems.
Gul Plaza-like incidents will continue because we do not treat people as human beings,’ he said, adding that owners and CEOs rarely face such consequences as common citizens or workers do. ‘We focus on compensation rather than accountability,’ he added.
Zahid Farooque of the Urban Resource Centre (URC) said the recent Gul Plaza fire had deeply saddened the citizens. He said Karachi, now among the world’s largest cities, continues to witness unchecked high-rise construction without adequate safety planning. ‘Multi-story buildings mushroomed, but emergency exits and safety systems were ignored,’ he said.
Tariq Moin of the Fire Protection Association of Pakistan (FPAP) discussed the technical and legal dimensions of fire safety. He said the Building Code of Pakistan 2016 provides clear guidelines, but implementation remains weaker. ‘The real killer is not fire, but smoke,’ he said, adding that emergency exits, smoke detectors, sprinklers, fire hoses, and evacuation drills are essential.
He noted that fire extinguishers have become scarce and expensive following recent incidents, while controlling authorities are virtually nonexistent.
Fire expert Saeed Jadoon listed major fire disasters in Karachi, including Regent Plaza, Baldia Town, Nishtar Park, Karsaz and several markets. He said the fire brigade receives 20 to 25 fire calls daily, but only Gul Plaza attracted the attention of the media. ‘The fire department is efficient, but firefighting must be modernised. There is no firefighting law in Pakistan, only a civil defence law,’ he said, advocating for remote-control firefighting technology and institutional mergers.
Other speakers suggested the continuation of such meetings of the experts in the city, and a long-term strategy should be developed. Chairman of the National Forum for Environment and Health, Naeem Qureshi, senior journalists Sarfraz Ahmed, Tahir Hassan Khan, Shams Keerio, Shujauddin Qureshi, Munaza Rajput also gave their views.
Concluding the session, Zeenia Shaukat, Director of The Knowledge Forum, stressed that every building must have an approved fire plan regulated by competent authorities. ‘Prevention is the only way forward,’ she said.