High-rise buildings near airport responsible for plane crash

KARACHI: Illegal high-rise buildings in Model Colony Karachi are also responsible for the plane crash, which had killed almost 97 people on board.  

According to details, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) have allegedly received a bribe for high-rise buildings.

Sources have claimed that several SBCA officers had received a heavy amount of bribe in order to allow the construction of high-rise buildings near the airport runway.

Relevant sources also informed that some builders near the airport have taken the permits of 10 and 11 storey commercial buildings in the air zone from the officials of the Civil Aviation Authority by making heavy offerings.

In this regard, the residents of the Model Colony area have claimed that some of the citizens here have also approached the court against the high-rise buildings, however, no progress has been made in this case.

Earlier on Friday, Karachi-bound flight PK-8303 of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) from Lahore collided with a water tank of a three-storey house during the second attempt of landing at Karachi Airport.

The presence of the high-rise buildings at the exact location of the Model Colony from where the planes land and take off is tantamount to inviting more accidents.

According to the rules of civil aviation in Pakistan, for construction within a distance of 15 km of any airport, NOC must be obtained from aviation authority.

The government of Pakistan had formulated a national airfield policy in this regard in 2013. According to this policy, no construction of any kind is allowed within 900 meters of the runway and usually only airport buildings such as watchtowers. are allowed in the respected area.