Gul Plaza complex plan reveals violations after deadly fire

KARACHI: ARY News, the country’s prestigious news channel, has acquired construction and complex details regarding Gul Plaza.

According to the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA), Gul Plaza was originally constructed in 1980.

Following an 18-year hiatus, an additional floor was added in 1998. The SBCA further revealed that the building’s roof was converted into a parking area, while shops were illegally constructed in the original parking zone. Despite these changes, the additional floor was eventually regularized.

The owner of Gul Plaza reportedly received a completion certificate on April 14, 2003.

However, according to the official map, permission was only granted for four floors, including the basement.

While the permit allowed for 1,021 shops, a total of 1,200 shops were actually built. This means 179 more shops were constructed than were approved in the original map.

The SBCA noted that the building has become severely congested. Shops were built along internal pathways and near exit points, significantly obstructing foot traffic and emergency access.

The massive fire at Gul Plaza on M.A. Jinnah Road has left the city reeling, as authorities confirm the blaze, which broke out on January 17 around 10:00 P.M., was brought under control after 34 hours, but the building remains structurally fragile and unsafe. Rescue teams, backed by the Army, Rangers and the civil administration, are continuing a cautious search operation for missing persons while engineers assess the stability of the damaged structure, amid growing fears of further collapse as new details continue to emerge from the site.

DIG South has confirmed that 23 bodies have so far been recovered from Gul Plaza, while six victims have been identified and the identification of the remaining bodies will be carried out through DNA testing.

Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah has announced financial assistance of Rs10 million for the families of those who lost their lives in the Gul Plaza fire incident adding that the disbursement of compensation to the bereaved families would begin from tomorrow.