A court has rejected previous updates and ordered a full report in the Gul Plaza fire investigation, amid an ongoing blame game regarding the incident.

The MQM-P party has accused the Sindh government of covering up the inquiry report into the deadly Gul Plaza blaze, with the Information Commission ordering the disclosure of the report.

An additional district and sessions judge in Karachi granted interim bail to five of the six accused in the deadly Gul Plaza blaze, including an 11-year-old boy and the building union president.

The prosecution has once again rejected the charge sheet in the Gul Plaza case, causing embarrassment for police high-ups.

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) has publicly demanded the release of the inquiry report concerning the Gul Plaza incident.

Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah distributed Rs511 million among victims of the Gul Plaza incident and unveiled a Rs7 billion relief package.

The Sindh government has constituted a high-level committee to ensure the execution of the inquiry report into the Gul Plaza inferno, which claimed over 70 lives in January.

The Gul Plaza Judicial Commission in Karachi has concluded its proceedings regarding the early February fire and announced that its inquiry report will be submitted to the provincial government on April 7.

A judicial commission is reportedly investigating the land records of Gul Plaza, seeking documents from the pre-Partition era and setting an April 1 deadline for submissions.

A fire has erupted at Gul Plaza in Karachi, which had previously been damaged by a blaze.

The Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) has informed a commission that Gul Plaza in Karachi was constructed in violation of its approved building plan, denying regulatory lapse in connection with a deadly January 17 fire.

A senior minister in Karachi has claimed a reduction in street crimes and inaugurated the Gul Plaza Bazaar at the Expo Centre.

Danyal told the commission that the rescue operation at Gul Plaza was significantly delayed

Gul Plaza probe commission informed that lack of equipment, delays behind tragedy

• Civil Defence official testifies power shutdown, closed exits and lack of emergency lighting hampered evacuation • Says building was inspected twice in 2024, 2025 and fire safety mesasures were found inadequate KARACHI: An official of Civil Defence has informed the Gul Plaza Judicial Commission that the fire and rescue service of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), as well as the Rescue 1122, were equipped with advanced machinery, but failed to douse the fire efficiently and rescue ...

• In his testimony, Danish Ali alleges lack of trained staff and equipment hampered timely response • One of six survivors tells judicial commission they escaped on their own as smoke spread inside building KARACHI: A man working as a fireman in a private firm narrated his heroic efforts before the Gul Plaza Judicial Commission on Wednesday, which led to the rescue of 11 persons from the burning building on the night of Jan 17. The man, Danish Ali, maintained that he had voluntarily participa...

• Justice Agha Faisal rules commission’s ToRs do not permit intervention; advises Muttahida to submit their information via email • Leased in 1883, Gul Plaza plot was sold to a private firm in 1983, says municipal commissioner KARACHI: While turning down an application of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) seeking to become a party in the proceedings, the Gul Plaza Judicial Commission on Monday recorded the testimonies of the municipal commissioner and various other officials in th...

The Sindh Chief Minister has assured affected shopkeepers from the ill-fated Gul Plaza in Karachi that they will be temporarily accommodated in other city markets.

An implementation committee of the Sindh government has recommended legal action against SBCA officials, Civil Defence, fire department officers, and building management committee members following the Gul Plaza fire.

An 11-year-old boy is scheduled to stand trial in juvenile court, accused of playing with matches and starting a fire that killed 72 people at the Gul Plaza shopping mall in Karachi, Pakistan, in January.

The Gul Plaza challan has reportedly excluded the commission report, with police naming a shopkeeper, his 11-year-old son, and union leaders as accused in the case.

The article discusses the aftermath of the January 18 fire at Gul Plaza in Karachi, which killed 70 people, noting the extensive damage and difficulties faced by inspectors.

Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah announced that the Sindh government will fulfill its promise to rebuild Gul Plaza, a multi-storey shopping center destroyed by a deadly fire that claimed over 70 lives.

The Sindh government has established a high-level ministerial committee to review the findings of the Gul Plaza fire investigation and develop a strategy for implementing the commission's recommendations.

Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah of Sindh has instructed authorities to demolish the fire-damaged structure of Gul Plaza in Karachi to clear the way for its reconstruction.

A basement blaze erupted at Gul Plaza, two months after a deadly inferno, with police suspecting drug addicts caused the fire while attempting to burn wires to extract copper.

A fire has broken out yet again at Gul Plaza in Karachi, two months after a deadly blaze, with officials suggesting it was likely started by drug-addicted individuals.

Amid criticism following the Gul Plaza tragedy, President Asif Ali Zardari and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari publicly expressed their confidence in the Sindh government and Karachi mayor.

A Fire Department report on the Gul Plaza incident reveals that locked emergency exits and chaotic rescue efforts contributed to the loss of lives.

The Karachi Municipal Corporation (KMC) has attributed responsibility for the Gul Plaza tragedy to other bodies, while also stating it had voluntarily conducted fire safety audits of 200 buildings.

A view of the badly damaged Gul Plaza structure.—Fahim Siddiqi / White Star KARACHI: It is easy to be wise after the event. Hindsight is a luxury. On Sunday morning, March 1, two police patrol vehicles (mobiles) are parked outside Gul Plaza: one, on M.A. Jinnah Road, the other, at the back of the ill-fated shopping centre which caught a harrowing fire on Jan 17, taking scores of innocent lives, compelling the media to focus on the issue for a couple of weeks. As is the practice, an incon...

Two survivors of the deadly Gul Plaza inferno in Karachi testified to a judicial commission that no rescuers or building management came to aid those trapped during the fire.

Lack of training and equipment by emergency personnel cost lives, rescuer tells commission

A judicial commission has summoned a top Karachi Metropolitan Corporation official to provide land records for Gul Plaza after a director failed to answer questions about the shopping mall's status and lease.

A court has rejected the initial investigation report into the Gul Plaza fire and ordered a new probe to be completed by a DSP-rank officer.

An 11-year-old and five other individuals have been granted bail in the Gul Plaza inferno case, with defense counsel questioning the nomination of a minor in the challan.

The prosecution in the Gul Plaza case in Karachi has again returned the charge sheet, demanding the inclusion of the judicial commission’s report and the rectification of previously identified defects.

Six months after the Gul Plaza inferno in Karachi claimed 72 lives, police have yet to submit the final charge sheet in the case, raising concerns about the investigation's progress.

Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has distributed Rs511.7 million in compensation to 200 shopkeepers affected by the January 17 blaze at Gul Plaza, with plans to compensate the remaining 1,009 traders.

The Chief Minister of Sindh has distributed compensation cheques for the Gul Plaza incident, with Rs10 million provided for each deceased and payments already made to 63 families.

Justice Agha Faisal of the Sindh High Court, who led the Gul Plaza Judicial Commission, has handed over the sealed inquiry report into the January 17 fire to the provincial government. The fire claimed the lives of over 70 people in Karachi.

The government has begun plans for the rebuild of Gul Plaza, including disbursing compensation for victims and providing aid to traders as the demolition phase kicks off.

Three individuals were arrested after a large fire re-erupted at Karachi’s gutted Gul Plaza shopping center, which was eventually brought under control by over a dozen fire tenders after several hours.

KARACHI: Inhalational asphyxia/suffocation was the predominant cause of death in the tragic Gul Plaza fire that claimed at least 73 lives, according to Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed. The deadly inferno, which erupted on the night of January 17 at the mall, took nearly two days to be fully extinguished and left over 1,100 shops in ruins. Despite 10 days of hectic search efforts amid the rubble, at least eight people remained missing. Dr Syed submitted a reply to a questionnaire from the judi...

• Says lack of fire safety measures, disconnection of electricity and blocking of exits caused fatalities • Forensic investigation can determine exact origin of fire, commission told KARACHI: Chief Fire Officer Muhammad Humayun Khan has blamed the Gul Plaza administration for the loss of life due to lack of implementation of fire safety protocols, failure to make a prompt announcement about the fire, blocked emergency exits and disconnection of electricity without evacuating people trapped in...

A senior architect has recorded a statement regarding the Gul Plaza tragedy, emphasizing the necessity of adequate safety measures in building designs.

A fire at Gul Plaza has prompted questions regarding accountability and the need for action following repeated warnings.

An NGO has organized a three-day temporary market, dubbed 'Gul Plaza,' for traders who have been affected by an unspecified event, drawing large crowds.

KARACHI: More than a month after flames ripped through Gul Plaza, leaving devastation and livelihoods reduced to ashes, relief has finally arrived for nearly 1,000 affected traders with the Sindh cabinet’s approval of a Rs7 billion compensation package, offering some hope of financial recovery to those who lost everything in the deadly blaze. The Sindh government along with the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), finalised the estimate of losses incurred by the shopkeepers of Gul Plaza in...

Protections for women farm workers, Rs7b for Gul Plaza shopkeepers

• Amid moving scenes, 23 relatives of the deceased testify before judicial tribunal • Say fire tenders ran out of water, no serious effort made to break walls and windows of the building to rescue people trapped inside KARACHI: Moving scenes were witnessed before the judicial tribunal investigating the Gul Plaza inferno on Monday when 23 relatives of 33 deceased persons narrated their ordeal, pointing fingers at the rescue work, firefighting and slow response by authorities. In their statements before the single-judge tribunal headed by Justice Agha Faisal of the Sindh High Court, they deposed that entry-exit points of Gul Plaza were closed, firefighters arrived late, ran out of water, lacked equipment and skill, while rescue authorities made no efforts to break the walls and windows to rescue people trapped inside. Many of the witnesses broke into tears while testifying before the commission, which heard them at the Deputy Commissioner South Complex. One of the witnesses, Haleem, deposed that his father and brother were inside the building when the fire broke out on Jan 17. He said his father lost his life and brother suffered injuries when he jumped out of the building to save his life. He said firefighters faced a water shortage while the building’s electricity was switched off shortly after the fire broke out. Witness Mohammad Hanif testified that his two sons were killed in the tragic incident. He said rescue officials made no efforts to break the walls and windows to rescue the people. He said police resorted to baton charge him and other relatives of the people trapped inside when they gathered near the plaza. Another witness, Qaiser, whose wife, son and sister-in-law were killed in the blaze submitted before the tribunal that he had asked the recuse and firefighters to break a wall in order to rescue people, but to no avail. He maintained that rescue authorities had lacked proper equipment and machinery. Taj Mohammad, whose father was killed in the incident, blamed the fire and recuse officials for not fulfilling their responsibilities. He said that he, along with a cousin, managed to reach the rooftop of the building, but rescue officials did not brother to reach there in order to save people. One gate of the building was opened and other exit-entry points were closed, he added. Saima, who lost her son in the incident, submitted that she and her daughter-in-law remained present outside the building for nine days, but the authorities did nothing to rescue their loved ones. She deposed that her other sons also participated in the rescue operation. Shahnaz, whose son worked at one of the Gul Plaza shops and lost his life, broke into tears during her testimony. Sanaullah said his sister was killed in the deadly fire and blamed the provincial and local authorities for the tragic incident. Abdul Hafeez, who also lost his son, informed the tribunal that the firefighters were short of fuel and water. Ahsan Ahmed, who lost his brother, also deposed that fire tenders were present on the spot but facing water shortage. Mohammad Hadi said that his son was also killed in the fire, but an assistant commissioner asked him to file an affidavit about the presence of his son in the building at the time of incident. Later, the tribunal provided the witnesses a questionnaire and asked them to submit it at the next hearing. The commission sought reply to 17 questions about the arrival of fire tenders and rescue staff, proper equipment for rescue and firefighting, prompt availability of ambulances, whether police facilitate evacuation or create confusion and the roles of district administration and the management of ill-fated building. The commission will also record the testimonies of various officials of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, Sindh Building Control Authority, Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation, Sindh police, Gul Plaza Shopping Mall Association, K-Eclectic and others on Wednesday (tomorrow). Published in Dawn, February 17th, 2026