SHC moved to implement building code to save people from fires

KARACHI: An application was filed in the Sindh High Court (SHC) seeking implementation of the Building Code of Pakistan: Fire Safety Provisions across the province to save the precious lives of citizens in incidents of fire.

Applicant Nadeem A Sheikh said in the application that two people had died and more than 13 others had been injured in a fire at a multi-storey building in Gulshan-e-Iqbal due to inadequate fire safety arrangements.

He said that the federal government had introduced by-laws of the Building Code of Pakistan: Fire Safety Provisions 2016 for fire prevention and life safety in relation to fire and fire protection of building and structures, but these laws are yet to be implemented by the provincial government in letter and spirit.

He also said that the building code and fire safety provisions are necessary

for the approval of multi-storey buildings in the

city, as it stipulates that any construction or modification of a building in violation

of the provisions shall be considered as a violation of professional engineering works and the persons involved in it shall be punished.

The court was requested to direct the Sindh government to implement the Building Code of Pakistan: Fire Safety Provisions

across the province in

letter and spirit and ensure that all multi-storey buildings have proper fire safety measures.

Frozen account

The SHC gave the Control of Narcotic Substances (CNS) Court 15 days to decide the application with regard to the freezing of the account of a citizen in a case of possession of narcotic substances.

The direction came on a petition of Mohammad Jawad against the freezing of his bank account on the instruction of the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF).

The petitioner had moved the court seeking direction to the private bank to unfreeze his account without any delay.

He claimed that the ANF had committed an illegality in sending directions to the bank for freezing his account.

The ANF’s counsel said that FIR No. 16/2016 under Sections 6, 9(b), 14, 15 of the CNS Act 1997 had been

registered by the ANF

Police Station-II, adding that in pursuance thereof, an order was passed on April 21, 2017 for freezing the account of the petitioner, the brother of an absconding accused.

The counsel said that the investigating officer also mentioned the description of the account and prayed to the CNS Court to pass an order for the continuation and confirmation of the order and also forfeiture of the assets to the federal government under Section 19 of the CNS Act.

The ANF’s counsel said that proper application has been moved to the trial court from where notices have been issued to the present petitioner.

The petitioner’s counsel said he did not receive any such notice from the special court, but he said a copy of the application may be supplied to him by the ANF’s counsel so that the petitioner may appear before the trial court for redressing his grievances.

He also requested that some directions may be issued to the trial court to decide the application as the petitioner needs some financial assistance for his sister’s wedding.

The SHC’s division bench headed by Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar disposed of the petition with directions to the CNS Court to decide the application filed by the ANF’s inspector with regard to the freezing of the petitioner’s account after providing the right of audience to him.