Gul plaza fire: Funeral prayer for four family members held in Karachi

KARACHI: Funeral prayer for four members of the same family who lost their lives in the tragic Gul Plaza fire was offered in Metroville, Karachi, on Friday.

A large number of grieving relatives, friends, and hundreds of citizens attended the funeral, after which the victims were laid to rest at a local graveyard.

The victims were among those killed in the devastating fire that broke out on the night of Saturday, January 17.

Jamaat-e-Islami Karachi chief Munim Zafar and several other political leaders were present at the funeral to express solidarity with the bereaved family.

Speaking to ARY News, Munim Zafar said the entire city of Karachi was still reeling from the tragedy.

He described the Gul Plaza incident as a clear example of government incompetence and criminal negligence, stating that people helplessly watched their loved ones burn, while many families are still waiting to receive the remains of their relatives.

According to authorities, a total of 69 victims of the Gul Plaza fire have so far been identified through a combination of DNA testing and proof-of-presence methods.

According to officials leading the identification project, 42 bodies have been confirmed using proof of presence techniques, while 22 were identified through DNA testing. The remaining identifications relied on mobile phone locations and other scientific methods to establish the victims’ presence at the scene.

Project leads emphasised that as DNA testing options were exhausted, investigators increasingly relied on proof of presence to confirm the identities of the remaining victims. The forensic process is ongoing, and authorities continue to work to ensure all families receive accurate information about their loved ones.

Meanwhile, the Sindh government has announced a judicial inquiry into the Gul Plaza tragedy and has formally written to the Chief Justice of the Sindh High Court seeking the formation of a judicial commission, Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said on Thursday.