Gul Plaza Fire: Sindh High Court orders judicial inquiry

 

KARACHI: In a significant move to bring the facts of the Gul Plaza fire tragedy before the public, the Sindh High Court (SHC) has ordered a judicial inquiry into the incident, ARY News reported.

According to an official statement, the Sindh High Court has constituted a judicial commission to investigate the causes and circumstances surrounding the Gul Plaza fire. The decision was approved by the Chief Justice of the Sindh High Court, marking the formal commencement of judicial investigations into the tragedy.

Justice Agha Faisal has been appointed as the head of the single-member judicial commission tasked with probing the incident. The commission will determine the causes of the fire and fix responsibility for the tragic incident.

The inquiry will be conducted under Section 3 of the Sindh Tribunals of Inquiry Ordinance, as stated in official correspondence. The commission has been authorized to thoroughly examine the factors that led to the outbreak of fire and identify those responsible for any negligence or violations.

Officials said the formation of the judicial commission aims to ensure transparency and accountability, while addressing public concerns over the incident.

According to the letter, the Sindh government will determine the duration of the judicial commission, during which Justice Agha Faisal will carry out the investigation and submit findings.

The Gul Plaza fire had sparked widespread concern and calls for accountability, prompting demands for an independent probe from political stake holders in Karachi.

Gul Plaza Tragedy 

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.

The building remains structurally unsafe. Rescue teams, supported by the Army, Rangers, and civil authorities, were involved in the search for missing persons. Families coordinated with authorities at help desks and DNA collection centres while engineers assessed the damage.