Police on Friday registered a case against the owners, shareholders and contractor of a private school in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province after a roof collapse killed 34 children and a teacher and injured 52 others. The incident occurred on Thursday at Al-Khair Education System in Peshawar’s Dir Colony. Police registered a First Information Report (FIR) at Agha Mir Jani Shah Police Station under Sections 148, 149 and 322 of the Pakistan Penal Code. The FIR names the school’s owners, shareholders and the contractor responsible for constructing the building. According to the FIR, the school was constructed on 16 marlas of land owned by Waheed and Javed. The land was leased in 2024 before construction began. The FIR alleged that substandard materials were used during construction and that the school administration ignored earlier complaints from students about the deteriorating condition of the building’s walls and roofs. Police arrested the school owner on Thursday and said efforts were underway to apprehend the other suspects named in the case.
Two-Member Committee To Investigate Collapse
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Secretary has constituted a two-member inquiry committee to investigate the tragedy and submit its findings within seven days. The committee will examine the building’s structural stability, construction quality and safety arrangements. It will also investigate possible negligence and recommend legal and administrative action against those found responsible. According to sources, the provincial transport secretary will head the committee, while Chief Engineer of the Communication and Works Department Jamshed Ali Khan will serve as its member. The provincial government also plans to introduce a mechanism to assess the safety of government and private school buildings across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Government Announces Compensation For Victims
The provincial government has announced compensation of PKR 10 lakh (₹3.42 lakh) for the family of each person killed in the collapse and ₹2 lakh for every injured student. The announcement comes amid concerns over building safety in Pakistan, where roof and structural collapses are frequently linked to inadequate safety standards and substandard construction materials. In July, three girls aged between three and 13 were killed when a portion of the outer wall of a government primary school collapsed in Sindh province, burying them under the rubble. The same month, a child died and five others were injured after the roof of an under-construction private school building collapsed in Lahore. In June, 14 children were killed when the roof of a private tuition centre collapsed in Lahore. Less than two months before that incident, four children were killed and 20 people injured when a classroom roof collapsed at a private school in Dera Ghazi Khan district.
