The Senate Standing Committee on Law and Justice in mid-November directed the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) to draft a bill within three weeks in the light of proposed draft on implementation of building codes with special provisions for seismic protection and send it to the Law Division for vetting.
The committee met with Senator Muhammad Javed Abbasi in the chair approved the proposed draft on implementation of building codes with special provisions for seismic protection, suggesting penal provisions and mechanism regarding violations and asked the PEC to prepare a draft bill and send it to Law Division for vetting through the Ministry of Science and Technology. After vetting the bill by the Law Division, the bill will be submitted before the Federal Cabinet for its final approval.
Chairman PEC Jawed Saleem Qureshi told the Committee that the Council has prepared a detailed document which has identified standardizing authorities for construction material, geotechnical engineers/consultant, architects, structural design by the engineers, constructors and supervision by the building control authorities.
“Currently there is no institution in the country for standardization of construction material as well as monitoring of structural design,” he added.
He said the institutions identified for the effective implementation of building codes in Pakistan at various stages include Pakistan Standard Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) for standardization of construction material. The PEC will conduct registration of consultant and structural designers. Pakistan Council of Architects and Town Planners (PCATP) will conduct registration of architect, and Capital Development Authority (CDA), Ministry of Housing, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Pak PWD, Commissioner and Islamabad Mayor will be responsible for supervision of building control authorities/ executing agencies.
