- Sindh govt will set tenure for judicial commission later.
- Commission tasked with probing causes of deadly mall blaze.
- Previous committee found delayed fire response, blocked exits.
Sindh High Court (SHC) Chief Justice Zafar Ahmed Rajput has nominated Justice Agha Faisal for a single-member judicial commission to probe the Gul Plaza tragedy.
The Sindh government had written to the chief justice on January 29 seeking the formation of a judicial commission to probe into the deadly fire at the shopping centre in Karachi last month that claimed 80 lives.
The commission will investigate the tragedy and ascertain the causes of the fire, stated a letter sent from the high court in response to the provincial government.
The letter further notes that the high court was considering the request of the Sindh government, along with the terms of reference for the judicial commission.
It added that the tenure of the commission will be fixed by the Sindh government.
Karachi’s largest fire in more than a decade broke out on January 17 and quickly spread through the sprawling shopping complex, famous for its 1,200 family-owned stores selling wedding clothes, toys, crockery, and other goods.
Last month, an investigation committee report on the Gul Plaza fire detailed the rapid spread of flames, citing the presence of inflammable material in a ground-floor shop and the fire reaching adjacent shops within minutes.
The report highlighted delays in response, noting that fire tenders arrived late and a continuous water supply only began after midnight. Rescue teams reportedly lacked essential tools, protective gear, and training to evacuate trapped people efficiently.
Police measures to control crowds were ineffective, and emergency exits were blocked or encroached. Multiple fire safety audits had been conducted previously, but none of the recommendations were implemented, worsening the scale of the tragedy.
The committee recommended immediate audits of high-risk buildings, regular emergency evacuation drills, and upgrading all firefighting and rescue institutions with modern equipment to prevent similar incidents in the future.
