Judicial Commission summons various departments in Gul Plaza fire probe

KARACHI: The judicial commission formed to investigate the deadly Gul Plaza fire has summoned senior officials from multiple government departments as part of its inquiry into the incident that claimed more than 70 lives.

The commission, headed by Sindh High Court Justice Agha Faisal, has issued notices to various departments and has also summoned the president of Gul Plaza to appear before it. The hearings have been scheduled for February 18.

The officials called to appear before the commission include the Senior Director Land, Chief Fire Officer, Deputy Commissioner South, SSP City, DIG Traffic, Chief Executive Officer of the Karachi Water Corporation, Director General of the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA), Director General Rescue, and the Chief Executive Officer of K-Electric.

The judicial inquiry follows a devastating fire that broke out on January 17, 2026, at Gul Plaza, a well-known shopping centre located on MA Jinnah Road in Karachi. The fire continued for three days, resulting in the deaths of more than 70 people and raising serious concerns over building safety standards and emergency response mechanisms.

After the tragedy, the political parties and civil society organizations rejected the report submitted by the Karachi commissioner, expressing a lack of confidence in its findings.

They subsequently demanded the Sindh government constitute an independent judicial commission to ensure transparency and accountability. The commission is expected to examine the causes of the fire, assess possible negligence by relevant authorities, and determine responsibility for the scale of the loss of life.