THE recent fire on the sixth floor of the Civic Centre in Karachi, which engulfed the record room containing millions of valuable documents related to people`s plots of land and properties, is a matter of great concern. No proper safety or security arrangements were in place at the fire site. This blatant negligence has once again exposed the vulnerability of vital public documents, which are of immense legal and personal value to the people.

This is not an isolated incident. It closely mirrors the recurring fire outbreaks at the PNSC building, where flames mysteriously erupted multiple times, raising serious questions, but yielding no credible answers.

It is widely suspected that land mafias, unscrupulousbuilders, and corrupt elements within the system are behind these deliberate attempts to erase records.

Their ulterior motives include landgrabbing, tampering with ownership, andmanipulating legal evidence. These fires are not just administrative failures; they are a direct attack on justice, transparency and the rights of the people.

In the interest of justice and public trust, the chief justice of the Sindh High Court and the Sindh chief minister should take an immediate and effective action.

A high-level judicial inquiry must be initiated, and immediate steps should be taken to secure all public records, including digital archiving and fireproof storage. Without such action, public trust in the system will continue to erode.

This matter affects thousands of citizens whose lifelong savings and legal ownership rights are tied to these documents. The public has a fundamental right to transparency and the protection of their legal property records. Any compromise on this critical matter is nothing but a betrayal of the casue of justice and the rule of law.

Muhammad Anwar ul Haque Karachi