Gul Plaza fire: Sindh govt dismisses two civil defence officers

KARACHI: The Sindh Home Department has dismissed two Civil Defence officers in connection with the Gul Plaza fire case, after allegations of negligence, misconduct, and fabrication of official reports were found to have been established.

Additional Chief Secretary Home Muhammad Iqbal Memon issued the dismissal orders. The officials dismissed from service are Additional Controller Fatima Memon and Senior Instructor Mirza Mursaleen Baig.

According to the Sindh Home Department, both officers failed to conduct the required fire safety audits of Gul Plaza during 2024 and 2025. Following the fire that broke out at the building on January 17, 2026, fire safety reports were allegedly prepared with earlier dates.

The department said both officers were issued show-cause notices and given opportunities to present their defence and evidence during personal hearings. However, they failed to provide satisfactory explanations or evidence to refute the allegations.

Senior Instructor Mirza Mursaleen Baig was accused of serious negligence in conducting fire safety audits at Gul Plaza and of failing to ensure that identified safety deficiencies were addressed.

He was also accused of fabricating the 2024 and 2025 fire safety reports and preparing them with backdated information after the fire incident.

Baig was issued a show-cause notice on June 19, 2026. His written response was deemed unsatisfactory by the Sindh Home Department. He was subsequently given a full opportunity to defend himself and present evidence during a personal hearing.

According to the department’s order, the allegation that Gul Plaza’s fire safety audits were not conducted according to the prescribed procedure was established. His explanation regarding the backdated reports was also rejected, with the department stating that the reports had been prepared after the fire and were therefore considered fabricated.

The department classified the matter as serious negligence, dereliction of duty, and misconduct, and ordered Baig’s dismissal from service with immediate effect.

Fatima Memon, who was serving as Additional Controller (BS-17) at Civil Defence Karachi South, was also dismissed from service.

The department said she had repeatedly failed to ensure effective fire safety audits of Gul Plaza over several years and had also failed to ensure that fire safety deficiencies were rectified.

She was further accused of fabricating official records in collaboration with Mirza Mursaleen Baig.

Fatima Memon was issued a show-cause notice and provided an opportunity to submit her response. She was also given a full opportunity to present her defence and evidence during a personal hearing.

The Sindh government ultimately imposed the major penalty of dismissal from service with immediate effect.