FAISALABAD, Oct 17 (DNA):Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FCCI) President Arif Ehsan Malik
called for a mandatory forensic structural audit of all educational institutions across the country
following a tragic school roof collapse in Peshawar that reportedly claimed the lives of 35 students and a schoolteacher.
Expressing deep concern over the tragedy, he said that the incident exposed serious shortcomings in the enforcement of building safety laws and regulations, warranting immediate action to prevent similar disasters in the future.
He stressed that safety of children must never be compromised through negligence in building standards.
“The business community is deeply shocked and grieved by this heartbreaking incident and we extend our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families,” he said, emphasizing that schools should serve as safe havens for children rather than places where their lives were put at risk by unsafe infrastructure.
FCCI Chief said that operating educational institutions in dilapidated and structurally weak multi-storey buildings amounted to an unacceptable compromise on the lives and safety of students.
He urged provincial governments and local development authorities to launch a special nationwide campaign for comprehensive inspections and safety assessments of all educational buildings including schools, colleges and other institutions to identify structural hazards before they resulted in further loss of life.
He said that protection of young lives required coordinated action by the government, regulatory bodies and educational institutions. Effective enforcement of safety standards and regular structural inspections were imperative to prevent avoidable tragedies, he added.
