Update · 2 Nov 2026, 6:20 PM PKT: The SBCA's director of demolition said the contract would not be awarded solely to the highest bidder, and that preference would go to companies with a proven record of demolishing at least 20 buildings. The base price is Rs40 million.
The selected company must complete the demolition within three months and will be entitled to keep the debris and scrap. The Karachi South deputy commissioner will decide how shopkeepers' belongings recovered from the rubble are distributed.
The Sindh government has also announced plans to build a new structure on the site.
The Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) has invited bids from contractors for the demolition of Karachi’s fire-damaged Gul Plaza building, according to an advertisement published in newspapers. The authority said it wants contractors to tender for the removal of the damaged structure.
Contractors can submit their bids until November 20, and technical and financial proposals have been invited separately. The SBCA’s own demolition team will supervise the work, and the tender will be awarded once bids have been submitted and evaluated.
Fire that killed more than 73 people
A fire broke out at Gul Plaza on the night of January 17, killing more than 73 people. The blaze burned for over 32 hours before it was brought under control.
Also read: Sindh Building Control Authority faces audit irregularities · Gul Plaza fire: Firefighter Furqan to receive Tamgha-e-Shujaat
Court rejects JIT plea in Gul Plaza fire case
A city court rejected a plea by Gul Plaza president Tanveer Pasta and other co-accused seeking a Joint Investigation Team (JIT). The court observed that JITs are constituted exclusively for terrorism cases.
The hearing continued with Pasta and the other accused present in court. Defence counsel Javed Mir argued that the new investigation officer had attempted to shield government organisations, despite earlier court orders to include them in the probe.
Mir said no action had been taken against the builder by the SBCA, while the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, the SBCA and the Fire Brigade had been given a clean chit. He added that the investigation officer had not recorded the statement of the Deputy Commissioner South.
Mir also told the court that a father and son had been nominated as accused, although the father was not present at the scene, where the fire started on the ground floor. He further argued that around 5,000 people managed to evacuate the building, and that several others died due to what he described as severe negligence and incompetence by government institutions.
