MQM-P criticises Sindh government over Gul Plaza inquiry report delay

KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) on Tuesday accused the Sindh government of deliberately withholding the Gul Plaza fire inquiry report after an interim order by the Sindh Information Commission in the matter.

In a statement, the party’s spokesperson welcomed the commission’s order and described it as a success for the people of Sindh. The spokesperson said the interim order was issued on a complaint filed by Advocate Muhammad Tariq Mansoor and had raised serious concerns about the provincial government’s role in not making public the findings of the judicial commission that investigated the deadly fire.

According to the MQM-P statement, the one-member judicial commission headed by Justice Agha Faisal submitted its detailed report, along with four additional volumes, to the law secretary on April 7, 2026, in the presence of the media and the public. The party said that when an application was later submitted under the Right to Information law on April 28 to obtain the report, the office of the law secretary refused to accept it.

The spokesperson said the move amounted to a breach of Article 19-A of the Constitution, which guarantees citizens the right to information, and added that the Sindh Information Commission had also expressed displeasure over the issue.

Impact on related proceedings

The MQM-P further said the non-availability of the inquiry report had already affected proceedings in a related criminal case. It stated that a police charge sheet in a case registered at Nabi Bakhsh police station was returned by a judicial magistrate because the investigating officer had not provided the inquiry report.

Attributing the allegation to the party spokesperson, MQM-P said the provincial government was protecting those responsible and creating obstacles in the way of justice. The spokesperson also criticised the law department for referring the matter to the home department, calling it an attempt to shift responsibility.

“This reflects the extent to which the provincial government is shielding those responsible and obstructing justice”, he stated.

The Sindh Information Commission has directed the home secretary to produce the complete Gul Plaza Judicial Commission report at the next hearing on July 8. The commission has also sought a separate inquiry report prepared by the Karachi commissioner and dated January 20, 2026.

MQM-P said it would continue to pursue the matter through all available forums, including the courts and accountability bodies, until those responsible were brought to account and justice was provided to the victims’ families.