Judicial commission formed to probe Karachi’s Gul Plaza tragedy

Justice Agha Faisal to lead inquiry: commission to examine building approvals and safety lapses, causes of fire, rescue failures, and responsibility: Gazette notification issued

The Sindh government has formally initiated a judicial inquiry into the Gul Plaza tragedy, with the Additional Chief Secretary for Home Department issuing a gazette notification to constitute an inquiry commission, 24NewsHD TV channel reported on Tuesday.

According to the notification, Justice Agha Faisal has been appointed as the sole member of the Commission of Inquiry, and the gazette notification, including the terms of reference, has been officially conveyed to the commission.

The inquiry commission has been directed to complete its investigation within eight weeks. The Commissioner Karachi will provide secretariat support to facilitate the functioning of the commission during the inquiry process.

As per the terms of reference, the commission will review the approval of the building plan of Gul Plaza and examine the role of the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA), including the extension of the building’s lease.

The commission will also assess violations of the approved building plan and examine whether such violations caused difficulties in the evacuation of people during the incident.

In addition, the inquiry will evaluate fire prevention measures at Gul Plaza, arrangements for controlling the fire, overall safety measures, and the effectiveness of the existing fire safety systems.

The commission will review the fire audit conducted at Gul Plaza and examine the implementation of its recommendations. It will also investigate the causes and sequence of events that led to the fire.

Furthermore, the inquiry will assess the rescue operation carried out during the incident and evaluate its effectiveness. The commission has also been tasked with determining responsibility before and after the fire incident.

Officials said the judicial commission will submit its findings after completing the investigation within the stipulated eight-week timeframe.

Reporter: Mumtaz Jamali