ABAD Slams Sindh Over Illegal Buildings, Offers Rebuilding Plan

Karachi, July 8, 2025 : The Chairman of the Association of Builders and Developers (ABAD), Mohammad Hassan Bakhshi, has stated that the Sindh government is showing no interest in developing a master plan for Karachi. He urged Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah to announce a housing scheme in Sindh similar to the one introduced by Maryam Nawaz in Punjab.
Rejecting the government-formed inquiry committee investigating the recent building collapse in Lyari, he demanded that representatives from the private sector be included to ensure accountability.
He warned that 700 dangerously dilapidated buildings and millions of illegally constructed structures using substandard materials across Karachi are posing a constant threat to lives and property. Over the past five years, 150 precious lives have been lost due to the collapse of such illegal buildings, primarily caused by corruption, greed, and government apathy.
He announced that ABAD is willing to reconstruct the 700 dangerous buildings and demanded that the families of those killed in the Lyari incident be compensated Rs. 2.5 million, while Rs. 1 million should be given to each displaced family.Chairman ABAD, Mr. Mohammed Hassan Bakshi, along with Senior Vice Chairman Syed Afzal Hameed, Vice Chairman Mr. Tariq Aziz, and SBCA Convener Mr. Suffiya Adhia, is addressing a press conference at ABAD House regarding illegal construction in Karachi.
Speaking at a press conference at ABAD House, alongside Senior Vice Chairman Syed Afzal Hameed, Vice Chairman Tariq Aziz, and Sufiyan Adhiya, Hassan Bakhshi said that private sector representatives must be included in the Lyari Baghdadi tragedy inquiry committee to identify those responsible.
He highlighted that illegal constructions often include unauthorized additional floors, with foundations and roofs only suitable for 15–20 years. These constructions involve the local administration, police, and other authorities, while citizens are forced to live in these risky buildings due to financial constraints.
“If a major earthquake hits Karachi,” he warned, “thousands of such buildings could collapse, leading to mass casualties.”
Bakhshi demanded that builders involved in illegal construction and the government officials facilitating them be charged under anti-terrorism laws.
He criticized the Sindh government for failing to legislate effectively on the issue of hazardous buildings. He recommended that the government immediately conduct a comprehensive survey of these buildings with the help of credible institutions like NESPAK or NDMA.
He revealed that areas like Delhi Colony, Liaquatabad, Lyari, and others are heavily populated with unsafe structures. “If the Sindh government grants permission,” he said, “ABAD is ready to rebuild all these structures within 700 days.”
He emphasized that people are compelled to live in illegal buildings due to financial limitations. He also exposed that various authorities, such as MDA and LDA, have collected over Rs. 25 billion under the pretext of residential schemes but have failed to deliver even a single completed project.
Chairman ABAD appealed to CM Murad Ali Shah to launch housing schemes in Sindh similar to those in Punjab under Maryam Nawaz, stating that there is a severe housing shortage in the province, which is being exploited by mafias.
He offered full cooperation, saying that if the Sindh government assigns ABAD a target to build 100,000 homes, ABAD is fully prepared to deliver. He also suggested that Chinese companies could assist in achieving this target if needed.
On this occasion, Senior Vice Chairman Syed Afzal Hameed called the Lyari Baghdadi tragedy extremely tragic. He said that during a visit to the site, a lack of machinery, lighting, and administrative negligence was observed. “There was no government representative present at the scene of the incident, which is alarming,” he said. “We were informed that evacuation notices were issued to residents before the collapse. We ask: what steps were taken after issuing those notices?”
Meanwhile, Sufiyan Adhiya, Convener of ABAD’s subcommittee on SBCA, said that ABAD had given suggestions to the government to prevent illegal constructions, but no attention was paid to those recommendations.