IN my first column of this series (Aug 29) those living in dangerous high-rises, which is to say, all high-rises standing in Karachi, were informed that anyone requesting assistance and information from SHEHRI would be given a full report on the construction and state of his/her building. We were expecting a spate of requests from anxious citizens. Number so far received: zero. Are we to feel relieved that no one cares, or horrified?

More from Turkey: 27,000 buildings collapsed and the authorities expect this figure to reach 35,000 when their on-going survey is completed, 54,294 building were heavily damaged, 38,362 buildings were less damaged, and the government now feels that as many as 280,000 housing units will have to be built to accommodate the 600,000 rendered homeless, of which 253,000 are still shelterless and waiting for tents to be supplied to them. Independent analysts estimate that the toll of the quake on the Turkish economy will be around $ 25 billion. This is apart from the human loss, which carries no price. The reason for the alarming amount is mainly due to the fact that the larger number of buildings that collapsed was not built according to the required standards.

To Greece: Last week an earthquake struck the Athens region, but luckily of a low intensity. Buildings and structures built well over 2,000 years ago still stand, unshaken, and uncracked. Buildings built over the past few years fell, or were cracked. The death count is less than a hundred, an equal number is missing and some 2,000 were injured.

How many in Pakistan now remember, or bother to remember, what happened in Quetta in 1935? 60,000 people of a population of less than 90,000 living in the earthquake area lost their lives in the great earthquake of that year.

Fortunately for us all, there is a handful of concerned citizens who worry about the welfare of the people, who fight on, hoping to be able to impress upon someone someday that building standards must be adhered to for reasons of safety and of the environment. One of the handful is young Qazi Faez Isa, an active member of SHEHRI, a barrister of Karachi, whose family has lived in Quetta for several generations. Reproduced are excerpts from his column printed in this newspaper on June 10 1988:"Presently buildings in Quetta are coming up at a frightening rate and speed with scant regard to the earthquake factor. There seems to be no supervision or planning. In an earthquake area it is essential that there be open spaces and parks in congested areas of the city where citizens may collect when buildings start coming down on them. Quetta City has the unique distinction of having a solitary park, the Liaquat Park, which is away from the congested city area.

A golden opportunity presented itself to the authorities to have a park in the heart of the city when a decision was taken to move to another location the well-laid-out vegetable and fruit market situated in Kandahari Bazaar. Meetings held by citizens of Quetta demanded that when the market was pulled down a park be set up in its stead. But the municipality and the authorities recommended a multi-storeyed shopping complex. This betrayal of trust was undoubtedly motivated by the money, which is to be made on the allotment and sale of shops.

After the earthquake, all of Quetta city was rebuilt in accordance with regulations set out by Harry Oddin-Taylor (O.T.), one of the builders of the Sukkur Barrage. O.T. set out specific regulations and prescribed even the quantity of cement to be used. The construction of every building was watched and monitored at every stage. A checking system was introduced involving coloured cards which builders had to produce at each of the seven stages of building. Those who did not comply with the regulations had their buildings pulled down.

"It was a testament to the integrity of those men that when another earthquake of similar intensity to that of the one of 1935 hit Quetta six years later, no building came down."

'Those men' left in 1947 and we blame them for leaving us as 'jungley' as we are !

"To arrest the irregular and illegal building growth in Quetta, Begum Saida Qazi Isa, Qazi Azmat Isa and Qazi Faez Isa filed a petition (No.125/95) in the High Court of Balochistan against the Quetta Municipal Corporation, Quetta Development Authority, Government of Balochistan, and Others. The Bench headed by Justice Amirul Mulk Mengal and Justice Javed Iqbal. Justice Mengal wrote a judgment [ PLD 1997 Quetta 1], which will stand the test of time. It was significant in that it applies to each and every building coming up in Quetta, as well as those planned in the future. By this one judgment, the High Court came to the assistance of and gave relief to each and every inhabitant of the city, thwarted the machinations of all illegal builders and put a stop to the abatement and connivance by officials who were responsible for the implementation of the building laws but who were failing in their responsibility." (Faez Isa, Dawn, August 22 1996)

From Justice Mengal's judgment:"An aggrieved person within the meaning of Article 199 of the Constitution would not necessarily mean a person having a strict legal right. Even a person who was deprived of benefit, privilege, etc, by an illegal act or omission could be considered as an aggrieved person . . ."

"We appreciate that petitioners have come before the court to invoke constitutional jurisdiction of this court as regards the dangerous situation which has arisen due to construction of multi-storeyed buildings in Quetta town without observing provisions of building code, thus putting into peril the lives of inhabitants and passers-by. The entire population of Quetta cannot be allowed to be put in danger for the benefit of a few builders who are constructing plazas and multi-storeyed buildings as against the provisions of Building Code 1937 . . . . . . . ."

"The population of Quetta, if construction of such [irregular] buildings are allowed, shall be put to the threshold of horrible destruction in case, God forbid, any earthquake of high grade jolts the town, In such circumstances we are entitled to hold that the petitioners have rightly approached this court."

In conclusion, the High Court was pleased to "direct the Chief Secretary, Government of Balochistan, to issue directions to Administrator, Quetta Municipal Corporation, to find out the number of under-construction multi-storeyed buildings in Quetta town and to issue notices to owners/ builders and after [an] opportunity of hearing them, order such amendment/alteration in the building plans, commensurate with the Building Code, particularly as far as height of building is concerned. No concession shall be given to the builders."

The builders filed an appeal against this judgment in the Supreme Court which was dismissed. The judgment has been endorsed by the Supreme Court and it has attained finality. It now requires implementation by the Government and its functionaries.

Quetta has acted. This week we read in "Dawn" on September 10: "The Quetta Municipal Corporation (QMC) has imposed a ban on high-rise buildings in the city to implement the code of the building control department controlling town planning.

"This was decided at a meeting of the QMC building control department presided over by Mayor Rahim Kakar . . . . .

"All the maps and site plans approved in violation of the code would be cancelled with immediate effect, an official announcement said."

Justice Mengal later became the Chief Justice of the Balochistan High Court. The people of Balochistan felt safe and secure with him as their CJ; the government did not. Earlier this year, the government got rid of him from Balochistan and neutralized him by elevating him to the Supreme Court. Rather than be shunted out to a Bench where he would be relatively helpless, the good judge chose to resign. Though the people of Quetta were unable to save the open space made available when their vegetable market was shifted, the people of Karachi hope to save the Sabzi Mandi space and the few other open spaces that remain to them. SHEHRI and concerned citizens will have to go to court to protect themselves against the numerous land grabbers, including those grabbing for the prime minister's disastrous 'Mera Ghar' scheme. Money is needed for this. Who is willing to help?