A recent preliminary survey by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has found that more than half of Islamabad’s high-rise buildings do not have full fire safety equipment in place.
The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has uncovered serious gaps in fire safety across Islamabad after carrying out an initial check on high-rise structures. The survey, which counts buildings taller than 15 meters as high-rise, identified over 500 such buildings in the capital. More than 50 percent of them were missing complete fire safety setups.
Both public and private buildings showed violations of safety rules. Basic items like fire alarms, extinguishers, and hose reels were often absent or incomplete. Even in sensitive areas, the situation remains worrying. Several blocks in the Federal Secretariat lack fire alarms and related gear. High-rises around Karachi Company have almost no fire safety measures at all.
The review pointed to poor conditions in sectors such as F-11, F-10, G-13, G-14, and areas near Golra Mor. Only a small number of buildings in Blue Area met acceptable standards for fire safety.
This comes at a time when concerns about building safety have grown following deadly fires elsewhere, including a major incident in Karachi that prompted fresh attention to such issues nationwide.
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The CDA’s Building Control Section holds the main responsibility for inspecting fire safety in these structures. Officials have now ordered a full audit of all high-rise public and private buildings to address the shortfalls. Plans also include using modern tools like drones to support firefighting in taller buildings.
No immediate comment was available from CDA on enforcement actions or timelines for fixes, but the authority has stressed the need for strict compliance.
