The Commissioner of Karachi, Naveed Ahmed Sheikh, has ordered the removal of billboards and hoardings across the city following a cyclone warning from the weather department.
The order came late on Thursday after strong winds uprooted some of the street light poles and billboards in various areas of the port city.
The order from the commissioner office directed all deputy commissioners of the Karachi Division to survey within their jurisdiction through qualified engineers of all the billboards and hoardings installed alongside main roads.
“The deputy commissioners are liable to get any billboards or hoardings thus found dangerous immediately removed in order to avoid any loss of precious human life or damage to public or private property, and furnish reports to this office,” it added.
However, despite the commissioner’s orders as well as the Supreme Court’s directives, the administration so far has failed to remove these hazardous billboards and shop signage.
Currently, Karachi’s skyline is dotted with numerous gigantic billboards hanging on private buildings. These boards are not only illegal but also pose danger to passers-by, especially when the city is under a cyclone warning.
As of now, huge billboards are still visible at Shahrah-e-Pakistan and Sher Shah Suri Road, University Road, Stadium Road, Bahadurabad, Tariq Road, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Gulistan-e-Jauhar and Shahrah-e-Faisal, Saddar, DHA, and other areas.
Note that during August rains, two motorcyclists had been severely injured near the Metropole Hotel in District South after a billboard fell upon them during a thunderstorm.
The incident led to the suspension of two officers of the South DMC for illegally issuing billboard permits. The apex court also took suo motu notice of the incident and ordered removing all such advertisements and shop signboards that pose a threat.
