Sindh governor seeks judicial inquiry into Gul Plaza tragedy

Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori announced that he would write to the chief justices of the Sindh High Court and the Supreme Court, formally demanding a judicial inquiry into the Gul Plaza tragedy. “This case will not be closed. History will record what happened here,” he said.

Addressing a press conference at the Governor House on Thursday, he said nearly a week after the tragedy, grieving families are still seeking answers while political point-scoring continues. He said the cries and sobs of the victims’ families have not subsided. “I am standing with the affected families. They are asking what happened, why it happened, and why no one stopped it,” he said, adding, “People want to know who is responsible.”

He said the pain and helplessness of bereaved families should shock the conscience of any humane individual, but instead of offering relief, political statements are adding to their suffering. “Rather than applying balm to the wounds of the victims’ families, some are rubbing salt into them,” he said.

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The governor said he personally visited the scene after learning about the fire. “I saw the fire spreading. I reached the site at around 12:55am, travelling through a route affected by ongoing BRT construction,” he said.

Upon arrival, he contacted the DIG South and DIG Traffic to ease congestion at Gurumandir and facilitate rescue operations. He praised the Army, Navy, Karachi Port Trust and Rangers for rescuing 22 people from the building, adding that the Corps Commander was also monitoring the situation.

Despite the passage of a week, the governor said the tragedy continues to be politicised. “There is a blame game and conspiracy-building instead of finding solutions. Some people died in the fire, while others have been economically destroyed,” he said.

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“The city was tense and emotions were high. I exercised restraint and acted as a responsible citizen,” he said, adding that if he wanted to play politics, few could do it better. He questioned why responsibility had not been fixed within the administration, asking who controls the hydrants and how many of them are operating illegally. 

Calling himself an eyewitness, Tessori criticised what he described as a pattern of negligence in Karachi. “People die in fires, under trailers, or by falling into open drains, and we continue playing politics. Isn’t there any shame?” he said.

The governor urged the chief minister to review whether the administration was misleading him and questioned why fires in the past had not been properly investigated. He also raised concerns about the training of firefighters, referring to the death of firefighter Furqan, whose father had also died in the line of duty.

Tessori called for a judicial commission under the supervision of the chief justices to determine responsibility, adding that those engaging in political blame games should also be included in the inquiry.