On Saturday, police submitted their challan in the Gul Plaza fire case, holding the Gul Plaza Association chiefly accountable for the tragedy that claimed more than 70 lives in January 2026. The challan cleared the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), fire brigade, and civil defence of any negligence in the incident.
The investigation incorporated statements from 87 witnesses and included extensive evidence such as CCTV footage, NVR, USB, and DVR recordings. A forensic examination found no explosives or flammable liquids but did detect burnt residue on some items. The challan questioned the fire safety measures at Gul Plaza, citing alleged negligence by the building’s administration and detailing safety arrangements within the shops and the building. The challan has been submitted for further legal action and court directives.
This development follows months of contrasting accounts between a judicial commission and the plaza owners’ association regarding responsibility and the building’s ongoing condition.
The fire erupted on the night of January 17, 2026, in the ground-plus-three-storey Gul Plaza building and took nearly two days to extinguish completely. The blaze resulted in over 70 fatalities and caused partial collapse and severe damage to the structure.
In a significant development, a judicial commission established by the Sindh government in February 2026, headed by Sindh High Court Justice Agha Faisal, submitted its sealed report and records to the law department in April. The 78-page report was publicly released on August 30, though it remained unsigned at that time.
The commission did not single out any individual, department, or institution for the fire. Instead, it described the event as a “systemic and cumulative failure” involving multiple provincial and local government entities over time. It noted that existing legal and administrative frameworks were not effectively enforced.
Institutional deficiencies were identified across KMC, including its fire brigade, the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA), Rescue 1122, the Civil Defence Department, district administration, and other relevant bodies. The emergency response was found to be inadequately trained, poorly coordinated, and insufficiently equipped for an incident of this magnitude. Authorities failed to enforce fire safety, building control, and inspection regulations, while building-control records were incomplete or unclear. Previous inspections and audits had not led to corrective actions, and coordination mechanisms were mostly theoretical.
Key factors contributing to the high death toll included locked exits, blocked windows, absence of adequate fire safety systems, unaddressed known deficiencies, failure to act on audit findings, weak emergency support, and delayed rescue operations.
The commission placed material responsibility on the building’s de facto management, owners, occupants, and commercial operators but emphasized that the tragedy resulted from layered institutional failures rather than individual fault.
Regarding the fire’s cause, evidence consistently pointed to children playing with and igniting matchsticks at Shop No. 193 as the ignition source. This finding was confirmed by the SSP South and supported by a separate inquiry by the Karachi commissioner.
Meanwhile, on September 3, the Gul Plaza Owners Association (GPOA) expressed frustration that eight months had passed since the fire without reconstruction efforts underway. The association demanded eight months’ rent compensation for the owners of the 850 shops affected and called for a clear government timeline for rebuilding.
GPOA representatives claimed that shop owners were excluded from government compensation and had received no financial aid, alleging that compensation was primarily distributed to tenant shopkeepers through the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI). Out of Rs8.5 billion allocated for compensation, Rs5.35 billion had been disbursed to victims and tenant shopkeepers, leaving shop owners uncompensated.
GPOA General Secretary Arif Qadri alleged the fire was a deliberate act of sabotage, a claim not supported by the police challan or judicial commission report. The association also highlighted a previous fire in 2016 that destroyed 21 shops, with affected owners still awaiting compensation.
GPOA Chairman Muhammad Ismail criticized the KCCI for inadequate representation of shop owners, while the association noted that the plaza’s approximately 1,200 shops, all registered with the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), had been left without support. GPOA President Yaqoob Sand valued the shops at around Rs200 billion and condemned the government’s compensation process as lacking a coherent plan. The association’s primary demands remain financial relief, rent compensation, and a definitive reconstruction schedule.
