CM reviews Gul Plaza fire report, forms committee to fix accountability

KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th Apr, 2026) Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Thursday reviewed the Judicial Commission report on the Gul Plaza fire incident and constituted a ministerial committee to examine its findings and submit recommendations.

The meeting, held at the CM House, was attended by senior provincial ministers, top bureaucrats, and law enforcement officials, including Sharjeel Inam Memon, Nasir Shah, Zia Lanjar, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab, Inspector General Police Javed Odho, and other concerned officials.

The chief minister was informed that the fire broke out on January 17. A cabinet sub-committee was subsequently formed to frame the Terms of Reference (TORs), which were shared with the Sindh High Court. The Commission of Inquiry was formally notified on February 4.

The commission carried out site inspections and conducted hearings from February 16 to March 25 before submitting its report to the provincial government on April 7.

According to the report, the building lacked a functional firefighting system, proper alarm and communication mechanisms, and adequate evacuation arrangements, serious lapses that contributed to the scale of the incident.

The meeting was further informed that there was a delay in alerting the fire brigade, while the emergency response time remained well below the required standard. The inquiry also identified multiple stakeholders responsible for negligence.

Taking notice of the findings, the chief minister constituted a committee comprising the ministers for local government, law, and industries to thoroughly review the report and present actionable recommendations aimed at fixing accountability and preventing future incidents.