Karachi: More than 70 per cent of nearly 1,900 buildings inspected for fire safety since January have failed to meet required standards, exposing thousands of occupants to potentially deadly risks in Karachi, where around 160 fire incidents have been reported during the past two weeks alone.
The figures were disclosed at the fourth National Fire Safety Conference and Risk-Based Awards 2026, organised by the Fire Protection Association of Pakistan (FPAP) on Thursday, where experts called for urgent reforms in building safety, public education and emergency preparedness.
Rescue 1122 Chief Operating Officer Abid Jalal said about 1,900 buildings had undergone fire safety audits since January, with over 70 per cent found deficient. He called for revising the 2016 building code and establishing a dedicated technical body to oversee fire safety standards, inspections and compliance.
“Despite several serious and devastating fire incidents, the implementation of building codes remains a major challenge. We must sit together and work collectively to ensure their effective enforcement,” he said.
Chief Fire Officer Humayun Khan said Karachi had witnessed approximately 160 fires in two weeks, while responders faced serious difficulties because of encroachments, narrow roads and delayed reporting.
Citing the Gul Plaza fire, he said the Central Fire Station received information nearly 26 minutes after the blaze started, although videos of its early stages were already circulating. He regretted that people often preferred recording fires for social media rather than informing emergency services.
He said fire stations had increased from 22 to 28, while the department possessed eight snorkels and 52 water bowzers. He urged practical firefighting and evacuation training at schools, colleges and universities.
FPAP President Kanwar Waseem said fire safety must move beyond firefighting towards prevention through public awareness, professional training, technical expertise and institutional accountability. He said the government, educational institutions, media and business community must work together to develop a culture of prevention.
Waseem said the association had introduced fire safety certification courses recognised by NED University and contributed to the 2016 building codes. He said buildings must have functional fire alarms, sprinklers, extinguishers and accessible emergency exits, while occupants and employees should receive practical training rather than relying entirely on rescue services.
Former Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Javed Bilwani criticised the absence of adequate firefighting infrastructure in Pakistan’s largest commercial centre. He claimed Karachi contributed approximately 54 per cent of national exports and 67 per cent of tax revenues, yet industrial estates and markets, including McLeod Road, lacked essential fire hydrants. He recalled that hydrants had been installed at Habib Bank Plaza during its construction, questioning why similar facilities were not widely available.
Former PDMA Director Operations Imdad Siddiqui said poor policy implementation and inadequate coordination between institutions were two major weaknesses in disaster management. Recalling an April 2022 fire in a Dadu village, he said a mother had locked her children inside a room to protect them, but the fire engulfed it, killing them. The grieving parents rejected compensation cheques, showing that financial assistance could never replace lives lost to preventable tragedies.
Fawad Bari, chief executive officer of Hussain Habib, called for teaching children basic emergency responses, including how to escape burning buildings and extinguish burning clothes. He warned against pouring water onto burning cooking oil or electrical fires, stressing the importance of appropriate extinguishers and disconnecting electricity where safe.
The conference, attended by PDMA Sindh Director General Salman Shah, Pakistan Red Crescent Chairman Rehan Hashmi and international experts joining online, also discussed lessons from the Gul Plaza and PIMS fire tragedies.
Speakers urged authorities to make fire safety education compulsory, strengthen inspections, conduct evacuation drills and hold building owners accountable, warning that preventable fires would continue claiming lives unless regulations were enforced.
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