280 CCTV cameras were installed in Gul Plaza, Tanveer Pasta tells commission

KARACHI: Gul Plaza association president, Tanveer Pasta, on Thursday told the judicial commission that 280 CCTV cameras were installed in the ill-fated plaza. 

On the night of Saturday, January 17, a massive fire broke out at Gul Plaza on M.A. Jinnah Road, engulfing the commercial building and trapping dozens inside. The blaze raged for over 32 hours before being brought under control, exposing weaknesses in the city’s emergency response system.

Proceedings of the inquiry commission investigating the Gul Plaza tragedy were held at the Sindh High Court.

During the hearing, Gul Plaza Association president Tanveer Pasta appeared before the commission and was summoned to the rostrum for questioning.

The commission asked about the official closing time of Gul Plaza. Tanveer Pasta told the commission that on regular days the plaza closes between 10:30pm and 10:45pm, while on Saturdays it shuts between 10:30pm and 11:00pm. When asked about officially notified timings, he said no authority had ever bound them to close strictly at a prescribed time.

Responding to questions about gate closures, he said doors begin closing from Gate No. 1 at around 10:30pm, with the entire process taking approximately 20 minutes. On Saturdays, gates start closing at 10:45pm, while the ramp is closed at around 11:30pm.

On the availability of CCTV footage, Tanveer Pasta said some DVRs were recovered from the debris after the Gul Plaza building collapsed. He added that DVRs were installed at two locations, including a security room in the basement. According to him, the CCTV system had been upgraded and around 280 cameras were installed in the building.

Pasta further told the commission that the main corridors were between six and eight feet wide, while mezzanine corridors were around ten feet wide. When asked about the number of shops under the approved plan, Tanveer Pasta stated that he had not constructed the building himself but confirmed that there were 1,153 shops, all of which were leased.

He informed the commission that in 2003, basement parking was discontinued and parking was developed on the roof. He said the Sindh Building Control Authority had informed them that no additional floors could be constructed, though expansion within the existing structure was allowed.

Tanveer Pasta acknowledged that complete sub-lease records were not available with the management. He said a maintenance fee of Rs1,500 was collected and shop owners were advised to execute rental agreements through the management.

When questioned about the management’s role, he said it was responsible for collecting maintenance charges, carrying out works, cleaning, managing CCTV systems and deploying security guards. He added that at the time of the fire, six guards were on duty.