MQM demands judicial commission to probe Gul Plaza fire incident

Islamabad: Senior leader of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Dr. Farooq Sattar, on Tuesday called for the formation of a judicial commission under the supervision of the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Yahya Afridi, to investigate the deadly Gul Plaza fire incident.

The blaze at Gul Plaza on M.A. Jinnah Road in Karachi has claimed at least 26 lives, while 75 people are still missing.

The National Assembly suspended its routine legislative business on Tuesday to hold an emergency discussion on the tragedy, which caused significant loss of life and property. The decision was taken after Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazir Tarar moved a motion to defer private members’ business to allow debate on the incident.

Speaking on the floor of the House, Dr. Farooq Sattar said Karachi was being treated as a stepchild and stressed that a judicial commission under the Chief Justice of Pakistan was essential to uncover how the fire spread and why the building collapsed.

He said the issue had become a national security concern and termed a thorough investigation unavoidable.

“This is not mere incompetence; it is a systematic conspiracy to destroy Karachi,” he alleged, adding that such treatment of the city was tantamount to hostility toward the country.

Farooq Sattar said an all-parties consensus campaign had already been launched to address Karachi’s longstanding problems, with political and religious parties, lawyers, traders, doctors, industrialists, investors, and the media joining the “Save Karachi” movement.

He noted that the rehabilitation of nearly 1,200 affected families had emerged as the biggest humanitarian challenge following the tragedy.

The MQM leader also questioned the delayed arrival of federal and provincial ministers at the site and raised concerns over the absence of elected local government representatives. He condemned reports of looting during rescue operations, calling such incidents deeply distressing.