Shopkeepers risking lives of Rehmat Manzil occupants

Karachi
The indifference and inanity of five shop owners at Rehmat Manzil, a pre-partition residential building declared dangerous by the Karachi Building Control Authority (KBCA), stands to cause tragic loss of human life and property.
Despite the dilapidated structure being on the verge of collapse and residents of the 10 usable apartments being willing to vacate the building, the refusal of five shop owners to do the same is forcing them all to live perilously close to disaster.
To worsen matters, the shop owners have recently started installing lathe machines which could potentially speed up the feared collapse. A few years ago, the second floor of the three-storey building situated on the corner of Abdul Hakim Khan Road and Temple Road in the Ratan Talao area had collapsed and a female occupant had lost her life.
Recently, the building’s front portion has also fallen apart. Naveed Ahmed Khan, a resident, who spoke to The News about their predicament, said, “There are 21 flats in the building but only 10 are in a livable state. Still, all of us have been living in fear and guests have also simply stopped coming over.”
He said all the residents were eager to vacate so that the building could be demolished and rebuilt. “Our lives are at stake; we request the government and, particularly the KBCA, to intervene and resolve the issue.”
It is pertinent to mention that dozens of people have died in several building collapses in the Saddar and Lyari towns over recent years. A KBCA official, requesting anonymity, agreed that it was their responsibility to conduct inspections every alternate year and make sure such structures are cleared out.
However, he said skyrocketing property prices were the main factor why people such as the five shop owners at Rehmat Manzil were prepared to place their lives in jeopardy.