Sindh CM announces provision of temporary shops for Gul Plaza traders within 2 months

KARACHI:

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said on Friday that traders affected by the deadly Gul Plaza fire would be provided temporary shops within two months, while the damaged commercial structure would be demolished and reconstructed within two years.

“The plaza will have to be demolished, but we will rebuild Gul Plaza within two years, reconstruct the shops and hand them back to the traders,” Shah said, stressing that the number of shops would not be increased and reconstruction would follow Karachi Building Control Authority (KBCA)-approved plans.

Addressing the Sindh Assembly, the chief minister said arrangements for temporary shops would be finalised within two months to allow traders to resume their businesses. He added that the Sindh government had identified two commercial buildings with a total of 850 shops, whose owners had agreed to waive rent for one year, with efforts under way to extend the rent-free period to two years.

The blaze, which broke out late Saturday night, gutted the multi-storey plaza and caused severe structural damage. Human remains continued to be recovered from the rubble during debris removal and were shifted to Civil Hospital Karachi for medico-legal procedures. Rescue officials said the final sweep of the building was expected to be completed by today.

The CM said the Sindh government would provide immediate financial assistance of Rs500,000 per shop to affected traders as part of the first phase of compensation. These funds, he said, would be distributed through the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

In addition, each affected trader would be offered an interest-free loan of Rs10 million through the Sindh Enterprise Development Fund, with the provincial government acting as guarantor and bearing the markup. He also assured security and support for those affected by the tragedy.

 

Shah said compensation of Rs10 million for each deceased victim’s family had already been approved and released. He directed Karachi Commissioner Syed Hassan Naqvi to ensure prompt disbursement after identification of the families.

Providing an update on recovery operations, he said that 67 bodies had been recovered so far, while 15 people remained missing. However, Amir Hassan, in-charge of the identification desk at the Citizens-Police Liaison Committee, said four additional bags containing human remains were brought to the hospital overnight, raising the death toll to 71.

Shah said 88 missing persons were initially reported, but after removing duplications and errors, the verified figure stood at 82. DNA testing of 15 victims had been completed, while identification of 52 others was under way.

Read More: Gul Plaza fire causes Rs100 billion in losses, 1,000 shops destroyed

Detailing the timeline of the incident, the chief minister said the fire erupted at 10:14pm last Saturday on the ground floor of the plaza. The Fire Brigade received the first emergency call at 10:26pm, while Rescue 1122 was alerted at 10:36pm.

He said a government representative, the deputy commissioner South, reached the site within 16 minutes of the blaze. Shah also criticised unnecessary visits by certain VIPs during rescue operations, saying such appearances for television coverage caused congestion and hampered emergency response efforts.

The CM announced that FIRs would be registered and a full inquiry conducted into the causes of the fire and any institutional negligence. “Whoever is responsible will be punished. If government institutions were negligent, they too will be held accountable,” he said.

Building approval history

Addressing the regulatory background of Gul Plaza, Shah said the building was approved in 1979 for a basement, ground floor and two additional floors. The lease, he added, was extended in 1991 under the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation during the tenure of then mayors Naimatullah Khan and Farooq Sattar.

He said building irregularities were regularised in 2003, long before the 18th Constitutional Amendment, rejecting claims that devolution was responsible for the tragedy. While the plaza had civil exits on paper, he said the number of exits was insufficient.

“In 2003, the 18th Amendment was not in place, and the Pakistan People’s Party was not in power. An ordinance came at that time saying all buildings with irregularities should be regularised,” he said, adding that “on paper, the plaza had civil exits, but there were too few exits.”

Criticising attempts to politicise the tragedy, he said, “Using such a tragedy for one’s political purposes is equivalent to committing a grave crime. Criticise the government, but do not politicise it,” he said.

Furthermore, Shah shared that structural and fire safety audits across Karachi had already begun, with more than 300 buildings inspected so far. Buildings failing to meet safety standards would be given a short compliance period, after which non-compliant structures would be sealed, he added.

He also announced plans to bring all emergency response agencies under a unified command and said the Sindh government would push for mandatory building insurance legislation, adding that he had raised the issue with the federal minister for commerce.

Sindh CM approves Rs21.53b package for Karachi infrastructure 

Separately on Friday, Shah approved a Rs21.53 billion package for the rehabilitation and improvement of Karachi’s infrastructure, including Rs13 billion for Town Municipal Corporations (TMCs) and Rs8.53 billion for Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) projects covering roads, water, sewerage, drains, and streetlights.

According to a press release from the Chief Minister’s Office, the initiative aims to ease traffic congestion, enhance public safety, and boost economic activity in the provincial capital.

The approval came during a meeting at CM House attended by Local Government Minister Nasir Shah, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, Karachi Commissioner Hassan Naqvi, Finance Secretary Fayaz Jatoi, Secretary to the CM Raheem Shaikh, and other relevant officials.

 

 

Briefing the chief minister, Local Government Minister Nasir Shah said that all 24 TMCs had requested financial assistance to repair severely deteriorated roads and streets, citing budgetary constraints that prevented them from undertaking the work independently.

Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab reported that 409 roads across seven districts of Karachi required attention, with 400 roads slated for patchwork repairs and nine requiring complete reconstruction. District-wise estimates show Malir with the highest number of roads (98), followed by West (81), Central (53), South (50), East (49), Korangi (39), and Keamari (39).

Keamari accounted for the highest estimated cost at Rs2.32 billion, followed by West at Rs2.31 billion and East at Rs1.85 billion. Major allocations include Rs1.75 billion for TMC Manghopir, Rs960 million for TMC Gadap, Rs944 million for TMC Baldia, and Rs858 million for TMC Mauripur.

Read More: Mega projects long-term investment for city: CM

 

Most TMC projects will focus on patchwork repairs, while selected roads in Gulberg, Gulshan, Jinnah, Sohrab Goth, Orangi, Manghopir, Saddar, and Landhi will undergo complete end-to-end rehabilitation.

The total cost of the TMC mega scheme stands at Rs13.32 billion, which includes Rs10.93 billion for road rehabilitation (Rs10.68 billion for patchwork and Rs248 million for complete reconstruction), Rs1.64 billion for sewerage and water supply works, Rs628 million for Sindh Revenue Board charges, and Rs125 million for contingency expenses, according to the official release.

The CM recalled his directives from a January 7 meeting, in which KMC was tasked with rehabilitating 26 major roads. Mayor Wahab presented KMC’s assessment, estimating Rs5.53 billion for road reconstruction and resurfacing.

Additional allocations include Rs1 billion for urgent water and sewerage repairs to be carried out by the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation, Rs1 billion for storm drain retention wall construction and reinforcement, and Rs1 billion for streetlight installation and upgrades. The total estimated cost of KMC-led works stands at Rs8.53 billion, the statement added.

Also Read: Sindh unveils Rs1tr development budget for 2025-26

He stressed that the prompt rehabilitation of Karachi’s road network was essential for economic growth and public convenience. He directed all departments to fast-track approvals and ensure “transparent and high-quality execution of all projects.”

He further instructed authorities to coordinate the execution of road, sewerage, and water supply works to prevent repeated digging and inconvenience to residents. Transparency, quality control, and timely completion would be strictly monitored.

This package follows a similar initiative in November 2025, when Shah approved a Rs25 billion special package for Karachi to repair infrastructure damaged by heavy rains.