Rawalpindi: Fact-finding body formed to probe Ghakhar inferno

[Naveed Yaseen]

* CCB head leads probe g WAPDA to report on short circuit
* Notices served on buildings constructed in violation of laws

By Aamir Yasin

RAWALPINDI: Farrukh Masood, Military Lands and Cantonments (ML&C) regional director, on Friday constituted a fact-finding committee, led by Chaklala Cantonment Board (CCB) Chief Executive Officer Khursheed Khan, to probe the causes of Ghakhar Plaza inferno.

Sources told Daily Times that the basic aim of the committee was to probe the causes of the tragedy and prepare a detailed report on it to avoid such an incident in the future. They said that the committee would also mention details of the building plan and its security measures in its report.

They said that chief engineers of Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB), CCB and officials of building department would be part of the committee. They said that the CCB chief was appointed as inquiry officer because RCB Chief Executive Officer Sheikh Shahid Bashir was on medical leave.

Short circuit: They said that the committee was given a task to seek a detail report from Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) for short circuit occurrence in Ghakhar Plaza.

They said that the WAPDA would provide the committee with a list of electricity meters installed at the plaza and technical analysis regarding possibility of short circuit.

They said that the committee would also probe if building laws were fully implemented in Ghakhar Plaza and who was responsible for not setting up fire escapes at the building.

Shaky buildings: The sources said that the RCB and CCB had been asked to conduct a survey of the buildings in their jurisdictions, which had not adopted building laws. They said that according to the cantonment boards’ building laws, it was mandatory for every multistorey building to have fire fighting arrangements and fire escapes.

They said that both cantonment boards had been directed to fully implement the building laws with special focus on establishment of fire escapes. Warning notices, they said, would be issued to owners of the building,which stood in violation of laws.

The sources said the RCB officials had informed the ML&C regional director that it had served notices to owners of some buildings in Saddar to follow building laws. They said that the RCB was checking Poonch House, State Life Building, Pak Land Hotel, Khursheed Palace, Faisal Plaza and some other high-rise buildings in Saddar.

They said that RCB officials had also told the ML&C regional director that they had given Pak Land Hotel owners finally to week to repair the racks appeared in the building, failing which the authority had the right to demolish it to save innocent lives.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...009_pg11_1