Karachi admin seals 200 shops in Hashoo Centre over fire safety violations

In the aftermath of the tragic Gul Plaza incident, authorities in Karachi have intensified enforcement against commercial buildings lacking basic safety measures, sealing 200 shops at a major business centre in the city’s Saddar area on Tuesday.

According to the 24NewsHD TV channel, police and the assistant commissioner of Saddar conducted a raid at Hashoo Centre, where 200 shops located on the first floor were sealed due to the absence of mandatory safety arrangements.

Assistant Commissioner Saddar said that gas cylinders and other hazardous materials were found on the first floor of the market, while no fire or emergency safety measures had been put in place inside the building.

The Assistant Commissioner Saddar said shopkeepers had been served notices seven days earlier, warning them to remove dangerous materials and comply with safety regulations, but no action was taken by the traders.

DSP Preedy Liaquat Hayat confirmed to the media that when authorities revisited the market after the expiry of the notice period, the situation remained unchanged, prompting officials to seal the premises under the supervision of the assistant commissioner.

Meanwhile, in the wake of the Gul Plaza tragedy, the Sindh government is considering sweeping administrative reforms to strengthen coordination and emergency response mechanisms across the province.

Officials said the government plans to create a new, independent department by administratively separating various sub-departments currently operating under different provincial ministries and the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation.

Under the proposed plan, the Civil Defence department will be separated from the provincial Home Department, while the Fire Brigade will be detached from the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation.

Similarly, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority and the Relief Department will be removed from their existing administrative structures, and Rescue 1122 will be separated from the Health Department.

All these institutions will be merged into a single, standalone department aimed at improving response time and coordination during natural disasters and emergency situations.

Officials said consultations with legal experts are underway to design the administrative and operational framework of the proposed department. A draft structure will be prepared, and, following approval by the chief minister of Sindh, a formal notification will be issued.

Deliberations are also ongoing regarding the name of the new department, which will be granted the status of an independent portfolio within the provincial government.

The proposed department will have its own secretary, director general and directors, and will focus on rescue operations, relief efforts and post-disaster rehabilitation to prevent failures such as those witnessed during the Gul Plaza incident.

Reporter: Rizwan Ahmad