In letter to SHC CJ, Sindh governor seeks constitution of judicial commission for Gul Plaza inferno
Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori, in a letter to the Chief Justice of Sindh High Court Justice Zafar Ahmed Rajput, has sought the constitution of a judicial inquiry commission in relation to the devastating Gul Plaza blaze in Karachi, it emerged on Thursday.
The development comes amid growing calls from the opposition parties to form an inquiry commission in response to preliminary findings on the incident, which suggested that the fire was caused accidentally by a minor son of the owner of a flower shop.
Jamaat-i-Islami also questioned the probe’s credibility and asked for an independent judicial commission.
The deadly inferno, which erupted on the night of January 17 at the mall and took nearly two days to be fully extinguished, has claimed at least 73 lives and left over 1,100 shops in ruins.
In his letter — dated January 27 and available with Dawn — the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leader requested the SHC CJ to constitute a judicial inquiry commission to “investigate the Gul Plaza fire incident and to dig out the root cause, negligence facts or violations of law that may have led to this unfortunate occurrence”.
He noted that the incident had “resulted in irreparable loss of precious human lives and caused grave concern among the public at large”.
“Given the gravity of the incident and the widespread public concern, there is a compelling need for a transparent, independent, and credible inquiry to ascertain the causes, regulatory lapses, and any responsibility on the part of individuals or institutions,” Governor Tessori said.
He maintained that inquiry would “contribute towards preventing similar tragedies in future in the larger public interest”.
In his letter, the governor expressed confidence that “an inquiry conducted under the esteemed guidance of the judiciary will help restore public confidence and ensure that justice is served in accordance with law.”
On Wednesday, JI Karachi chief Monem Zafar called for an independent and credible judicial or statutory commission to conduct a thorough investigation, warning that failure to hold those responsible accountable would only pave the way for more disasters in the city.
Earlier in the day, a two-member committee comprising Karachi Commissioner Hasan Naqvi and city police chief Azad Khan, tasked with investigating the Gul Plaza inferno, called on Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and reportedly submitted their report.
Media reports said the report stated that the minor son of a shop owner lit a match while playing inside the shop and threw it without putting it out, due to which the shop caught fire, which then spread to the entire Gul Plaza.
