KARACHI (April 9): Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Thursday reviewed the Judicial Commission report into the Gul Plaza fire incident and constituted a ministerial committee to study the report and submit its recommendations to him.
The meeting, held at the CM House, was attended by Provincial Ministers Sharjeel Inam Memon, Nasir Shah, and Zia Lanjar, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab, PSCM Agha Wasif, ACS Home Iqbal Memon, IGP Javed Odho, Additional IG Karachi Azad Khan, Commissioner Karachi Hassan Naqvi, Secretary Law Ali Ahmad Baloch and other concerned officials.
The chief minister was informed that the fire incident occurred on January 17, 2026. Subsequently, a cabinet sub-committee was constituted, which approved the terms of reference (TORs). The TORs were shared with the Sindh High Court, followed by the formal notification of the Commission of Inquiry on February 4, 2026. The commission conducted site visits and hearings between February 16 and March 25, before submitting its report to the Government of Sindh on April 7.
According to the findings, the building lacked a functional firefighting system, proper alarm and communication mechanisms, and safe evacuation arrangements.
The meeting was further told that there was a delay in informing the fire brigade, and the emergency response was significantly slower than the standard response time. The inquiry report identified multiple stakeholders as responsible.
The chief minister constituted a committee comprising the Local Government Minister, the Law Minister, and the Minister for Industries to submit its recommendations.
Gul Plaza fire: inquiry finds major safety lapses; CM forms committee for recommendations for action
