Hundreds displaced as Pakistan’s largest city moves to seal unsafe buildings

A deadly building collapse in Karachi’s Lyari area has prompted city authorities to launch an unprecedented campaign targeting unsafe structures, spotlighting the challenges of urban safety in one of the world’s fastest-growing megacities.

The operation has uprooted hundreds of families and forced the temporary closure of small businesses, highlighting the human and economic costs of aging and poorly maintained infrastructure in densely populated areas.

The Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA), the provincial agency responsible for regulating building safety and urban development, said that 61 of the most dangerous buildings have already been vacated and sealed, displacing over 300 families and shutting down more than 400 commercial shops.

While the government had promised a monthly rent compensation of PKR 30,000 per family, this commitment has yet to be fulfilled and no permanent rehabilitation plan is in place for those affected.

‘Wandering without home’

“I am a paralysis patient. With great difficulty, I had bought a home, but SBCA declared the building dangerous and evacuated us. I have two young children, and my wife has passed away. The government has not provided any alternative shelter. We are struggling even for two meals a day. I cannot afford to rent another place, so we are wandering without a home,” said Abdul Rehman, 55, a resident of Baghdadi, Lyari.

Abdul Rehman explained that he and his late wife had pooled money through neighborhood committees and collected donations from relatives to secure a two-room flat on a pagri lease in “Amina Manzil” about 25 years ago for PKR 200,000. After the building was declared unsafe and evacuated, his children found temporary refuge with relatives, but there was no space for their belongings, forcing him to sell his possessions to a junk dealer.

He added, “The Deputy Commissioner of South Karachi promised rent compensation within a week, but even after a month, we have not received a single rupee. Even if the government pays the promised rent for three months, what will happen after that? I am paralyzed; I cannot build a new house. The government must give us a new home in exchange for the one we lost.”

The evacuation campaign gained urgency after a five-story building in Lyari collapsed on July 4, 2025, killing 27 people and injuring 10 others. SBCA launched a citywide initiative to identify and vacate unsafe structures to prevent further loss of life.

Over 300 families rendered homeless

Rashid Ali Narejo, SBCA District South Karachi Director, told Nukta that 588 buildings across Karachi have been declared dangerous, with 456 in South Karachi alone. “As part of this fresh campaign, 61 buildings in South Karachi have already been vacated and sealed. The rest will also be cleared,” he said.

Deputy Commissioner South Karachi, Javed Nabi Khoso, confirmed that over 300 families have been displaced and more than 400 shops sealed in what he described as “the largest-ever campaign to vacate dangerous buildings in Karachi,” emphasizing that the operation’s main objective is to save lives.

Among the displaced is 70-year-old Zulekha Masi from Shah Waliullah Road. Her husband is too sick to work, and the family had been living comfortably in a two-room flat until it was declared unsafe.

“Where will we go after a month? Wherever we ask for a rental home, landlords demand PKR 150,000 to 200,000 advance and monthly rent of PKR 10,000 to 15,000. Our income is too little to afford this. If the government can provide financial help for renting a home, it would be a great relief,” she said, breaking down in tears.

Ignoring the displaced?

The situation raises pressing questions about the government’s arrangements for alternative housing or livelihoods for thousands rendered homeless and jobless due to the operation. Officials admit that no permanent resettlement plan is in place yet, though discussions are ongoing.

Rent compensation of PKR 30,000 per family per month - payable for up to six months in two phases - is promised, and officials said payments are expected to begin once necessary documents are collected from affected families.

Despite these assurances, victims insist no compensation has been received so far.

To strengthen the campaign, Deputy Commissioner Khoso said a technical reassessment of previously declared dangerous buildings has begun.

A committee comprising SBCA engineers, representatives from the Association of Builders and Developers (ABAD), the Pakistan Engineering Council, and the Pakistan Council of Town Planners will resurvey areas to identify any unsafe buildings missed in earlier inspections.