Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Monday announced the formation of an investigative committee, headed by Karachi Commissioner Syed Hasan Naqvi, to determine the causes of the Gul Plaza tragedy.
The Chief Minister stated that the DIG Karachi will assist the investigative committee, and help has also been requested from the Forensic Laboratory in Lahore. He further announced plans for the reconstruction of the shopping mall and the rehabilitation of affected shopkeepers.
Addressing a press conference, the CM said that about 10 percent of the fire in Gul Plaza remains, and there is currently no safe access to enter the building. He added that it has been decided to immediately implement the 2024 fire safety audit report, which had reviewed 145 buildings. He emphasized that the trader community will play its role, while the government will fulfill its responsibilities.
Regarding the investigation, the Chief Minister said the inquiry is not intended to target anyone, but to identify and correct mistakes. He clarified that if evidence of sabotage is found, action will definitely be taken. He noted that mistakes can happen to anyone, and the aim is to learn from them. He added that while responsible parties will be punished, no one will be made a scapegoat. Some errors identified can be corrected immediately.
Describing the incident, the CM said it occurred on Saturday night at approximately 10:15 p.m., and while the exact cause of the fire is yet to be determined, preliminary estimates suggest a short circuit as a possible cause.
He explained that 24 fire tenders, 10 water bowsers, and 4 snorkels were involved in extinguishing the fire, along with 100 firefighters each from KMC and Rescue 1122.
Earlier, during a meeting, the Chief Minister said that Gul Plaza contains around 1,200 shops, meaning 1,200 people were affected. He added that all those running businesses were rendered unemployed overnight, and the government intends to rehabilitate all of them.
The meeting was attended by Provincial Ministers Sharjeel Inam Memon, Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, Saeed Ghani, Advisor for Rehabilitation Gianchand Esrani, Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab, Chief Secretary Asif Haider Shah, DC South Javed Khoso, trader committee members Javed Bulwani, Idris Memon, Muhammad Raza, Junaid Makda, Tariq Yusuf, and Tanveer Pasta. Karachi Commissioner Syed Hasan Naqvi briefed the Chief Minister on the Gul Plaza incident.
It was reported in the meeting that 14 bodies have been recovered so far, the fire has been extinguished, and cooling operations are ongoing. The Chief Minister was informed that the death toll may exceed 50, prompting him to immediately order the removal of debris.
