SHC serves notices to govt, others in Gul Plaza fire case
KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) has served notices to the Sindh government, Commissioner Karachi, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) and other concerned authorities in the Gul Plaza fire case, taking judicial notice of the deadly incident that claimed several lives and left many unaccounted for.
A division bench of the high court heard petitions filed in connection with the tragic fire at Gul Plaza Shopping Mall on M.A. Jinnah Road, one of Karachi’s busiest commercial centres.
During the hearing, the court directed the Commissioner Karachi to submit a detailed report on the circumstances surrounding the blaze, the response of relevant departments, and the steps taken after the incident.
Representing the petitioners, the counsel told the court that Gul Plaza had long been a crowded commercial hub and that the fire resulted in the loss of precious human lives. He argued that the tragedy exposed serious administrative failures and negligence on the part of the authorities responsible for safety and emergency preparedness.
“The Gul Plaza fire is clear evidence of the ineligibility and failure of the concerned departments,” petitioner’s counsel Nadeem Shaikh submitted before the court.
The petitioner requested the high court to fix responsibility for the incident, identify those found negligent, and issue appropriate orders against them. He also urged the court to direct the authorities to conduct a proper assessment of the losses suffered by traders and victims’ families and to ensure compensation for those affected.
The court was further told that despite Gul Plaza’s commercial importance and heavy footfall, adequate fire safety arrangements were either absent or poorly enforced, contributing to the scale of the tragedy.
The devastating fire broke out at Gul Plaza on January 17 at around 10:00pm and raged for more than 34 hours before being brought under control. The inferno left multiple people dead, while several others remain missing, plunging the city into grief and raising serious questions about building safety, enforcement of regulations, and emergency response mechanisms.
After hearing the initial arguments, the Sindh High Court issued notices to all respondents and adjourned the hearing, awaiting detailed replies and the report from the Commissioner Karachi.
