Rainwater Disables PBC Elevators Despite Costly Overhaul; Elderly and Female Staff Struggle to Access Offices
Nadeem Tanoli
ISLAMABAD – Both elevators at the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) headquarters have been out of service for the past five days after rainwater infiltrated the system, causing repeated electrical trips and rendering them non-operational. The situation has created severe hardship for elderly and female employees, who are now forced to climb multiple flights of stairs to reach upper floors—particularly the fifth.
A public notice issued by the PBC lift in-charge confirmed that due to continuous rainfall, water entered the elevator shafts, leading to recurring tripping. As a result, both lifts have been shut down “until further notice.” The notice advised staff to remain cautious and indicated the problem would persist until the weather improves and necessary repairs are carried out.
This breakdown comes despite the fact that the elevators were replaced only a few years ago at a cost of millions of rupees. The incident has raised serious concerns over the quality of installation, lack of waterproofing, and preventive maintenance of key infrastructure at one of Pakistan’s major state-run institutions. Employees are questioning how such a critical facility could be rendered useless by seasonal rains—particularly after such a significant investment.
“The lifts were supposed to be a solution, not a fresh problem,” said a senior PBC staff member, speaking on condition of anonymity. “We’ve spent public money on these upgrades, yet basic safeguards like rain protection were ignored. Now our older colleagues and women are forced to walk five floors in this heat.”
Calls are now growing for the Ministry of Information and relevant engineering departments to conduct an immediate inquiry into the elevator procurement and installation process. Many within PBC are demanding accountability for what they describe as “negligence bordering on incompetence,” as well as a timeline for repairs and future waterproofing measures.
As monsoon rains continue, the lack of functioning elevators at PBC headquarters serves as a symbol of poor planning and infrastructural fragility in public sector institutions.
