Commission concludes Gul Plaza fire probe; report on 7th

KARACHI: The Gul Plaza Judicial Commission has concluded its proceedings and announced that the inquiry report will be handed over to the provincial government on April 7.

In early February, the single-member commission, headed by Justice Agha Faisal of the Sindh High Court, began its inquiry into the Jan 17 devastating fire in Gul Plaza Shopping Mall that claimed lives of 73 people.

Commission’s Registrar Iqbal Hassan Khatti on Thursday sent a letter to the law secretary, informing him about the conclusion of the proceedings and submission of the inquiry report.

According to the letter, the commission was constituted under Section 3 of the Sindh Tribunals of Inquiry Ordinance 1969 vide gazette notification, issued on Feb 10, to scrutinise the devastating inferno at Gul Plaza as per terms of reference stated in the notification while the period prescribed for completion of the inquiry was eight weeks.

“It is hereby intimated that the commission has concluded the inquiry entrusted thereto and seeks to submit its inquiry report to the government. The report is accompanied by four additional volumes, comprising the entire record of the commission and upon which the report is rested,” it added.

The registrar asked the law secretary to visit the commission’s Secretariat in Sindh High Court on April 7 for the formal handing over of the inquiry report.

“The report, along with the entire record, has been duly sealed and shall be entrusted to you in discharge of duty of this commission. It shall remain the prerogative of the Government of Sindh to determine whether the same is to be brought into the public domain; and if so then the timing thereof,” the letter reads.

Initially, the Sindh government had formed a two-member inquiry committee comprising Karachi commissioner and city police chief. However, on opposition parties demand it formed a judicial commission to probe the deadly fire.

Besides fixing responsibility, the commission was tasked with examining if building approvals and lease extensions from the Sindh Building Control Authority, its predecessor organisations and the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation were granted in accordance with the applicable laws, rules and regulations.

Published in Dawn, April 3rd, 2026