According to rescue officials, inspections show that more than 5,000 tall buildings across the federal capital lack complete fire safety arrangements. Basic equipment such as fire alarms, fire extinguishers, and fire hose reels is either missing or not fully functional in a large number of structures.
Sources say the preliminary survey covered buildings taller than 15 meters, which are classified as high-rise structures. Islamabad currently has over 500 such buildings, and findings indicate that more than half fail to meet minimum fire safety standards. Both government and private buildings were found to be in violation of building safety regulations.
The absence of essential fire-fighting tools inside these buildings points to a pattern of neglect rather than isolated oversight. Officials noted that fire alarms and suppression systems, often the first line of defense during emergencies are not properly installed in many locations.
Only high-rise buildings in Blue Area were reported to have satisfactory fire safety measures. In contrast, several buildings in the Red Zone were found to be poorly equipped, despite their sensitive location. Even blocks of the Federal Secretariat reportedly lack basic fire alarms and fire-extinguishing equipment.
The situation appears more troubling in areas such as Karachi Company, where fire safety arrangements in high rise buildings are described as almost nonexistent. Similar deficiencies were observed in F 11, F 10, G 13, G 14, Golra Mor, and nearby sectors, where safety systems were found to be either ineffective or incomplete.
The Capital Development Authority (CDA), through its Building Control Section, is responsible for ensuring fire safety compliance in high rise buildings. The findings of the survey now place renewed pressure on the authority to enforce regulations and address long standing safety gaps.
Experts warn that without urgent corrective action, these shortcomings could turn routine accidents into major disasters. As Islamabad continues to grow vertically, the survey serves as a stark reminder that modern buildings demand modern safety standards and shortcuts can come at a high cost.
