RAWALPINDI/LAHORE:
Alarmingly weak fire safety standards have been found in major commercial buildings in Punjab following a province-wide inspection launched after the deadly fire in Karachi’s Gul Square that claimed more than 50 lives, officials said on Wednesday.
The Punjab Emergency and Rescue Department carried out a fire safety study and found serious deficiencies in most squares, markets and shopping centres. Of the 2,214 buildings inspected across the province, 1,722 were placed in the lowest “D” safety category.
Lahore emerged as the high-risk city in the survey. Authorities placed 682 buildings in the provincial capital in category ‘D’ and declared 13 structures completely unsafe for occupancy.
The report noted that many of the category D buildings lacked basic fire protection measures, including fire alarms, sprinkler systems and clearly marked emergency exits.
Authorities warned that such lapses could result in catastrophic loss of life and property in the event of a major fire.
In contrast, only 65 buildings in Punjab met the highest grade A safety standards. Another 129 were classified as grade B, while 284 fell into category C.
The findings come after the Gul Plaza fire in Karachi, in which several people, including customers, shop owners and their staff, died. Rescue officials said 86 people remain missing, while DNA testing continues to identify victims whose bodies have been recovered so far.
In response, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz announced a comprehensive audit of fire safety systems in all commercial and residential plazas as well as high-rise buildings across the province. He emphasized on the new standard operating procedures (SOPs) and their strict implementation to avoid risks such as electrical short circuits and delays in emergency response.
“Inspections will cover public and private buildings, including government offices, hospitals, schools and shopping malls,” the prime minister said in a statement, adding that public safety will remain her government’s top priority.
A day earlier, Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique ordered the immediate implementation of the Construction Safety Regulations 2022 across the province. In a meeting at Rescue 1122 headquarters in Lahore, he directed officials to take strict legal action against violators.
During the briefing, Secretary Emergency Services Dr Rizwan Naseer told participants that surveys of all 2,214 high-rise buildings had been completed. He also outlined plans to expand fire services to 39 additional tehsils at an estimated cost of Rs 2 billion.
Rafique said the initiative was in line with the prime minister’s vision of modernizing emergency services, citing the launch of air ambulance operations and enhanced response systems. He stressed that enforcing safety norms in buildings was “the need of the hour” to prevent further loss of lives.
Officials said notices would be issued immediately to owners of category D buildings, demanding mandatory installation of fire safety systems within a fixed deadline. Failure to comply, they warned, would lead to fines and legal action.
According to Rescue 1122, Punjab currently operates 281 firefighting vehicles with 2,446 trained rescuers. The service has responded to more than 280,000 fire emergencies, preventing losses estimated at Rs 768 billion. Across the province, emergency services include more than 15,000 first responders, 892 ambulances, 20 aerial platforms and 800 rescue boats.
Authorities reiterated that there will be no compromise in protecting lives and property as enforcement of fire safety laws is intensified across Punjab.
Crackdown on fires ordered in Rawalpindi
Meanwhile, the Rawalpindi district administration has issued strict directives making modern and functional firefighting equipment and emergency exits mandatory across the district.
The orders apply to all large and small shopping malls, shopping malls, major factories, chemical and acid manufacturing and supply units, cardboard, paper, plastic, furniture factories, garment units and major markets.
Trader organizations, associations, factory owners, plaza administrations and shopping center managements have been instructed to immediately install modern firefighting equipment and create emergency exit routes.
The Civil Defense Department was also ordered to carry out a large-scale inspection operation across the district.
Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner Hasan Waqar Cheema directed all deputy commissioners of the area to carry out inspections. The Department of Civil Defense will conduct operations and provide training to employees in major shopping malls, malls and factories on the use of fire fighting equipment and rescue procedures so that rescue efforts can begin locally before the arrival of firefighters or Rescue 1122.
Civil Defense will also carry out full inspections of the installed equipment and heavy fines and challans will be imposed for installing fake or non-functional equipment.
All owners of plazas, shopping malls, major markets, business centers, factories, banks and paper, cardboard, plastic and wood factories have been warned to install fire fighting equipment by January 25, 2026.
A crackdown campaign with zero tolerance for non-compliance, including heavy fines, challans and registration of cases, will begin from January 26.
Deputy Commissioner Hasan Waqar Cheema said the administration’s priority was complete protection of human lives and transparent security, warning of strict action against busy public places that lack modern fire safety measures.
