Category: 1. Pakistan

KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) — The death toll from a collapsed multistory residential building in southern Pakistan rose to 16 as search operations to find survivors continued for the second day.

Rescuers pulled 10 more bodies from the rubble during an overnight operation, officials said Saturday.

The government-run Civil Hospital said in a statement it had received the 16 bodies, adding several of the injured had been hospitalized.

Rescue workers are using heavy machinery to search for at least eight more survivors believed to be trapped under the debris, according to local media and emergency officials.

Residents said the building was located on a narrow street, hampering efforts to bring in additional heavy equipment. Television footage showed rescuers removing debris as relatives of those still trapped cried and prayed for the safety of their loved ones.

Building collapses are common in Pakistan, where construction standards are often poorly enforced. Many structures are built with substandard materials, and safety regulations are frequently ignored to cut costs.

In June 2020, an apartment building collapsed in Karachi, the capital of southern Sindh province, killing 22 people.

Karachi’s central mourning procession of Muharram 9 entered its destination of Hussainiya Iraniyan Imambargah in Kharadar on Saturday and peacefully concluded amid tight security, according to police.

Earlier in the week, Karachi Traffic Police issued a traffic plan for Muharram 8 to 10, outlining the procession routes as well as alternative traffic flows.

Stringent security measures are being taken across the country, such as army deployment as well as a crackdown on sectarian content and hate mongers, ahead of Ashura (Muharram 10), which will be observed tomorrow.

In Karachi, the Muharram 9 majlis started at Nishtar Park at 12:15pm, according to an alert from the police. “The number of participants is approximately 800 to 1000, and it is being led by Shahenshah Hussain Naqvi,” the alert read.

Another alert at 1:29pm said that the procession had departed the park, while another at 1:54pm read that head of the procession reached Aza Khana Zuhra, while the tail was still at Nishtar Park. A later alert at 2:16pm stated that the procession head had reached Shah Khurasan, with the tail still at the park.

The police said the procession entered its destination of Hussainiya Iraniyan Imambargah in Kharadar at 7:07pm with the tail still at Baghdadi Crossing. The procession concluded around 7:53pm.

Cellular services were also suspended in the areas adjoining the central procession’s route as well as the smaller procession’s routes across the city, according to a letter by the Sindh police chief.

According to the Karachi police chief, a total of 7,507 police personnel were deployed to monitor the main procession and its routes and passages.

“Expert police snipers have been deployed along the main procession and at the crossings and large contingent of police personnel, including senior officers of Karachi Police” is active, according to a statement from the additional inspector general of police’s office.

Traffic police personnel were also deployed to maintain traffic flow along crossings intersecting the main procession routes, as well as the alternative traffic routes arranged for Muharram 9.

Meanwhile, Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, Sindh IG Ghulam Nabi Memon and Senator Waqar Mehdi reviewed security arrangements for the procession at Numaish, Nishtar Park and the Hussainiya Iraniyan Imam Bargah, a statement read.

Lanjar reviewed the security package and received a briefing from the Sindh IG and met the procession organisers.

“Peace and order in the city is our priority,” Lanjar was quoted as saying. He also directed the law enforcement agencies to take foolproof security measures, according to the press release.

Meanwhile, Wahab said, “Cleanliness arrangements have been ensured along the procession’s passageways. Proper lighting arrangements have also been made in the passageways and around them.”

On Friday, more than 5,500 police personnel were deployed across Karachi for the security of 8th Muharram processions.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said that 27,063 processions were taking place nationwide, with 7,598 majalis.

“Everything is going well,” he told reporters in Sukkur. “Sukkur has the largest procession, with approximately 1 million participants.”

The minister added that there were few blockages and praised the Sindh chief minister and other officials for taking care of the participants by arranging for special fans along procession routes, among other measures.

Punjab arrangements

Punjab Home Secretary Ahmad Javed Qazi briefed Punjab Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman on the security situation across the province, a statement by the Public Relations Office said.

According to Qazi, more than 37,000 Muharram gatherings and 9,800 processions were being live monitored across the province. He said that Pakistan Army and Rangers personnel were also deployed to assist the police.

The chief secretary reviewed the arrangements for the Urs of Baba Farid and the Data Darbar Ghusl ceremony in Pakpattan. He also reviewed the social media monitoring process with the Cyber ​​Patrol Cell of the Home Department.

Chief Secretary Zaman said, “All administration and police should be present in the field and follow the rules and regulations,” directing the control rooms to remain alert. He said that the main processions and gatherings are being monitored with CCTV cameras.

Meanwhile, Lahore Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Operations Faisal Kamran visited different areas of the city to review the security. He met with the organisers of the processions and instructed all officers to remain alert.

According to him, 386 gatherings were to be held and 81 mourning processions would be taken out in the city today. He said, “Over 8,000 officers and soldiers are performing security duties.”

He said that full security was being provided at all places, adding that the district administration, security agencies and other institutions were providing assistance.

“The streets on the route have been sealed with barbed wire and barriers,” he said, adding that snipers were deployed on high-rise buildings along the procession routes.

Police and community volunteers were deployed at various checkpoints, including ladies police personnel to check the mourning women, he added.

DIG Kamran advised citizens to immediately report abandoned goods, motorcycles and suspicious persons to the police.

A ‘Peace Caravan’ was launched under the supervision of DIG Kamran, which included scholars, the peace committee and police officers.

It was led by Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Operations Tasawur Iqbal, who, along with the superintendent of police (security(, met with leaders of different faiths.

“The aim of the peace caravan is to promote unity and solidarity in the city,” DIG Kamran said.

He said that “interfaith harmony” was a clear message to the enemies of the country, stating, “Lahore Police is taking every possible step to strengthen interfaith relations. Maintaining peace in Muharram is a shared responsibility of all of us.”

In Multan, police issued a statement outlining that 166 majalis and 80 processions were scheduled for Muharram 9.

Multan City Police Officer (CPO) Sadiq Ali Dogar said that 5,092 police personnel were deployed to protect the processions.

“We are prepared for any emergency,” Dogar was quoted as saying. “In addition to rooftop duty, police personnel in white uniforms are also present along the routes for secret surveillance. The procession routes have been sealed with barbed wire.”

The CPO added that alternative traffic routes had been provided and urged citizens to report anything suspicious to the police.

“Citizens should support the police in keeping the peace and promoting religious harmony,” Dogar said.

Earlier, Dogar, South Punjab Additional IG Kamran Khan, Counter-Terrorism Department Additional IG Waseem Sial, Multan Regional Police Officer Captain (retired) Sohail Chaudhry, Multan Commissioner Aamir Karim Khan and other officials reviewed the security package and visited the control room in the Deputy Commissioner’s office, a statement read.

The officials visited the Mumtaz Abad procession — the biggest in south Punjab — where Multan’s senior superintendent of police (operations) briefed the chief secretary and Punjab IG about the security arrangements.

The control room was also inspected, where the officials were briefed that all processions and gatherings in Multan were being monitored and controlled with the help of CCTV cameras.

Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman and Punjab IG Dr Usman Anwar met with members of peace committees, community leaders and the organisers of mourning processions and gatherings, who appreciated the efforts of the Punjab government to maintain peace and security during Ashura and Muharram.

Peshawar

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa IG Zulfiqar Hameed visited the mourning procession in Saddar are and reviewed security arrangements.

He told Dawn.com that there were 115 processions in the city and over 10,000 security personnel are present on duty with 50,000 personnel deployed across the province.

“Fourteen districts of the province have been declared sensitive, eight as extremely sensitive. Paramilitary and army are performing security duties in the most sensitive districts. We are fighting terrorism, operations are carried out wherever necessary.”

He said the processions were proceeding as usual throughout the province.

Rescue teams in Pakistan continued to search for survivors on Saturday after a six-storey residential building collapsed in Karachi’s Lyari neighbourhood, killing 16 people and injuring 13 others, according to local officials.The building came down around 10am on Friday in the Baghdadi area of Lyari, a densely populated and impoverished part of the city. Residents said they heard cracking sounds shortly before the collapse. Rescue workers, battling high heat and humidity, have been working through the night. At least eight people are still believed to be trapped under the debris.Summiaya Syed, a police surgeon with the provincial health department, confirmed the death toll at 16 and said 13 others had been injured.Incident left families devastatedDev Raj, 54, told AFP his daughter was still under the rubble. “She was my beloved daughter. She was so sensitive, but is under the burden of debris. She got married just six months ago,” he said.Another resident, Jumho Maheshwari, said his entire family of six was trapped inside their first-floor apartment. “Nothing is left for me now,” he said.Maya Sham Jee, whose brother’s family is still missing, called it a tragedy. “We are helpless and just looking at the rescue workers to bring our loved ones back safely.”Ignored warnings and official blame gameAuthorities said the building had been declared unsafe and that eviction notices were sent out in 2022, 2023, and 2024. Javed Nabi Khoso, a senior district government official, said, “We don’t want to impose our orders by force. We work in phases and send them notices to leave the building. They didn’t take the notices seriously.”The building had long been declared “dangerous” by the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA), which claimed that repeated eviction notices had been issued, according to ARY News.Locals, however, disputed the SBCA’s claims, alleging that no such formal warnings were communicated.Commissioner Karachi Hassan Naqvi, who visited the site after 13 hours, laid blame on residents who continued living in unsafe structures.SBCA data reveals that Karachi currently has 578 buildings marked as unsafe, with District South holding the highest number of structurally compromised structures.Officials also confirmed that an adjacent building to the one that collapsed has suffered structural damage and is now under observation.‘Out of senses?’However, Imran Khaskheli, a building owner and resident, denied receiving any notice. “Do you think we are out of our senses to stay in an unsafe building with our families?” he asked. He said he noticed cracks in the pillars early Friday and warned families to evacuate. “Many did not heed my warning,” he said, adding that about 40 families lived in the building.Shankar Kamho, 30, said his wife called him when she noticed the cracks. “I told her to get out immediately,” he said. His wife warned the neighbours, but one woman reportedly replied, “This building will stand for at least 10 more years”. Still, his wife and daughter left in time, just 20 minutes before the collapse.According to officials, more than 50 buildings in the district have been declared unsafe. Six were evacuated after Friday’s collapse.