The deadly roof collapse at Al-Khair School in Peshawar’s Dir Colony has raised serious questions about the safety of educational institutions and the effectiveness of regulatory oversight. If the school had obtained the required government approvals, how did a building where children were studying collapse so tragically?
At least 35 people have been reported dead, while more than 40 others were reported injured in updates published today. The final death toll and injury figures remain subject to confirmation by the authorities.
The tragedy has brought the school’s registration and building approvals under scrutiny. However, the key issue is not merely whether the institution had a no-objection certificate (NOC) or registration, but whether the approval process adequately addressed the building’s structural integrity and the safety of its occupants.
Questions have emerged over whether the building underwent proper structural inspections, whether it was certified as safe for educational use, and whether the prescribed construction and safety standards were enforced.
The provincial government and relevant authorities should make the available approval documents, inspection reports and details of the officials responsible for oversight public. Such disclosures would help establish whether the required procedures were followed and whether any regulatory failures contributed to the tragedy.
The PTI-led provincial government and the departments responsible for regulating educational institutions also face questions about the effectiveness of their oversight systems during their tenure. Investigators must determine when the relevant approvals were granted, whether any safety violations were identified or overlooked, and who bears responsibility for any negligence established by the inquiry.
The investigation must be transparent, evidence-based and comprehensive, ensuring that responsibility is determined on the basis of verified facts rather than political allegations.
When children lose their lives inside a school, accountability must go beyond expressions of grief and announcements of investigations. The authorities must establish what went wrong, take appropriate action against anyone found responsible, and ensure that other educational institutions meet the required safety standards to prevent similar tragedies.