Gul Plaza fire: Police declare Tanveer Pasta, accomplices responsible for deadly tragedy
- By Farooq Sami -
- Jun 22, 2026
KARACHI: Karachi Police have finalized their initial investigation report (challan) regarding the tragic fire at Gul Plaza, holding Tanveer Paste and four other individuals from market union ‘responsible’ for the tragedy.
The prosecution, however, rejected the report and returned it to the police, citing severe gaps in the investigation.
Union Leaders Blamed for the Tragedy
In the four-page main challan, backed by hundreds of supporting documents, the police named five key suspects whose negligence allegedly led to the catastrophic fire. The suspects include Tanveer Pasta (Union President), Huzaifa Ammar Ismail (Vice President), Amin (General Secretary), Muhammad Ramadan (Joint Secretary) and Nematullah, the owner of the shop where the fire reportedly broke out responsible for the deadly accident.
Prosecution Flags Major Loophole
Despite the police finalizing the charges, prosecution sources revealed that the current Gul Plaza investigation is entirely incomplete and lacks the legal substance required for court proceedings. The prosecution returned the challan with formal objections, ordering the police to address the deficiencies such as:
Missing Commission Report: The police failed to attach the official inquiry commission’s detailed findings regarding the incident.
Lack of Video Evidence: Authorities have been ordered to retrieve and include CCTV footage from cameras installed around Gul Plaza to establish a clear timeline of events.
No Eyewitness Testimony: The prosecution noted that investigators made no serious effort to locate or record statements from eyewitnesses who were near the affected shop when the fire started.
“The current probe is half-baked. Without eyewitness accounts and concrete digital forensics, the case cannot stand in a court of law,” a prosecution source stated.
The police have been directed to rectify all highlighted flaws, gather the missing evidence, and resubmit a comprehensive challan for legal review.
