bridge collapse due to malpractice in design

KARACHI: Despite passing 15 years to the collapse of a major portion of the Shershah bridge, multiple probes initiated by the police, communication ministry as well as the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) have failed to yield any positive result and provide justice to the families of six persons who were killed in the incident on Sept 1, 2007.

While a manslaughter case was registered on April 7, 2010 on the directives of the Supreme Court in which the accused were acquitted by a sessions court in 2012, another FIR was lodged by the FIA in April this year against a former chairman of the National Highway Authority (NHA), a director of a textile mill and three others pertaining to the collapse of Shershah Bridge.However, despite registration of the FIR, the FIA Agency has so far failed to take action against any of the nominated suspects.

Sources linked the registration of the case and then the stalled investigations with the political developments in the country that saw the change of the government and leadership at various law enforcement agencies.

A senior FIA official, who is familiar with the case, told Dawn that the nominated suspects had neither joined investigations nor approached any court for bail before arrest.

noted with deep regret that "despite lapse of almost seven years from the date of collapse of the bridge and almost four years from the date of interim order of this court, nothing has been brought on record to show any legal process that was initiated per direction of this court culminated into its logical conclusion".

As the apex court did not absolve any of the private respondents or any other person charged with professional incompetence, criminal neglect and or breach of public duty, then chairman PM Inspection Commission Islamabad retired Lt Col Saifuddin Qureshi submitted a complaint before the FIA on June 10, 2016 to initiate an inquiry into the Shershah bridge collapse.

The Corporate Crime Circle of the FIA-Karachi registered the FIR against five persons on April 12, 2022 after conducting a thorough inquiry into the incident.

However, the investigation of the case was transferred from Karachi to Islamabad on April 29.