Father of Gul Plaza victim alleges gas plant on rooftop

KARACHI: The father of a victim of the Gul Plaza fire on Tuesday alleged that a gas plant was operating on the roof of the shopping mall that was devastated in the deadly blaze, claiming dozens of lives.

Speaking to the media, Abdul Rehman, father of Abdul Samad—who died in the fire—claimed that a gas plant had been installed at Gul Plaza and that its presence was widely known.

He alleged that shops in the basement were being supplied gas from the plant.

“My son’s body was handed over to us in a box. We could not even see his remains before burying our beloved son,” he said.

A day earlier, relatives of the deceased had questioned the rescue efforts during the inferno that completely destroyed the commercial building and resulted in dozens of fatalities.

A meeting of the judicial commission, headed by Justice Agha Faisal, was held at the office of the Deputy Commissioner South. Twenty-three relatives of 33 deceased victims recorded their statements before the commission.

Family members told the commission that more lives could have been saved if heavy machinery from the Green Line project had been utilized. They claimed that although fire brigade and rescue teams were present at the site, there was a shortage of water.

“The fire tender arrived after two hours. By then, the building was filled with smoke,” relatives said.

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 more than 32 hours before it was brought under control, highlighting serious shortcomings in the city’s emergency response system.

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— ARY NEWS (@ARYNEWSOFFICIAL) February 16, 2026