Sindh CM announces provision of temporary shops for Gul Plaza traders within 2 months

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said on Friday that traders affected by the deadly Gul Plaza fire would be provided temporary shops within two months, while the damaged commercial structure would be demolished and reconstructed within two years.

“The plaza will have to be demolished, but we will rebuild Gul Plaza within two years, reconstruct the shops and hand them back to the traders,” Shah said, stressing that the number of shops would not be increased and reconstruction would follow Karachi Building Control Authority (KBCA)-approved plans.

Addressing the Sindh Assembly, the chief minister said arrangements for temporary shops would be finalised within two months to allow traders to resume their businesses. He added that the Sindh government had identified two commercial buildings with a total of 850 shops, whose owners had agreed to waive rent for one year, with efforts under way to extend the rent-free period to two years.

The chief minister said the Sindh government would provide immediate financial assistance of Rs500,000 per shop to affected traders as part of the first phase of compensation. These funds, he said, would be distributed through the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

In addition, each affected trader would be offered an interest-free loan of Rs10 million through the Sindh Enterprise Development Fund, with the provincial government acting as guarantor and bearing the markup. He also assured security and support for those affected by the tragedy.

Providing an update on recovery operations, he said that 67 bodies had been recovered so far, while 15 people remained missing. However, Amir Hassan, in-charge of the identification desk at the Citizens-Police Liaison Committee, said today that four additional bags containing human remains were brought to the hospital overnight, raising the death toll to 71.

Shah said 88 missing persons were initially reported, but after removing duplications and errors, the verified figure stood at 82. DNA testing of 15 victims had been completed, while identification of 52 others was under way.

Read More: Gul Plaza fire causes Rs100 billion in losses, 1,000 shops destroyed

Detailing the timeline of the incident, the chief minister said the fire erupted at 10:14pm on the ground floor of the plaza. The Fire Brigade received the first emergency call at 10:26pm, while Rescue 1122 was alerted at 10:36pm.

He said a government representative, the South deputy commissioner, reached the site within 16 minutes of the blaze. Shah also criticised unnecessary visits by certain VIPs during rescue operations, saying such appearances for television coverage caused congestion and hampered emergency response efforts.

CM Shah announced that FIRs would be registered and a full inquiry conducted into the causes of the fire and any institutional negligence. “Whoever is responsible will be punished. If government institutions were negligent, they too will be held accountable,” he said.

Building approval history

Addressing the regulatory background of Gul Plaza, Shah said the building was approved in 1979 for a basement, ground floor and two additional floors. The lease, he added, was extended in 1991 under the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation during the tenure of then mayors Naimatullah Khan and Farooq Sattar.

He said building irregularities were regularised in 2003, long before the 18th Constitutional Amendment, rejecting claims that devolution was responsible for the tragedy. While the plaza had civil exits on paper, he said the number of exits was insufficient.

"In 2003, the 18th Amendment was not in place, and the Pakistan People’s Party was not in power. An ordinance came at that time saying all buildings with irregularities should be regularised," he said, adding that "on paper, the plaza had civil exits, but there were too few exits."

Furthermore, Shah shared that structural and fire safety audits across Karachi had already begun, with more than 300 buildings inspected so far. Buildings failing to meet safety standards would be given a short compliance period, after which non-compliant structures would be sealed, he added.

He also announced plans to bring all emergency response agencies under a unified command and said the Sindh government would push for mandatory building insurance legislation, adding that he had raised the issue with the federal minister for commerce.

Sindh CM approves Rs21.53b package for Karachi infrastructure

Separately, Shah approved a Rs21.53 billion package for the rehabilitation and improvement of Karachi’s infrastructure, including Rs13 billion for Town Municipal Corporations (TMCs) and Rs8.53 billion for Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) projects covering roads, water, sewerage, drains, and streetlights.

According to a press release from the Chief Minister’s Office, the initiative aims to ease traffic congestion, enhance public safety, and boost economic activity in the provincial capital.

The approval came during a meeting at CM House attended by Local Government Minister Nasir Shah, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, Karachi Commissioner Hassan Naqvi, Finance Secretary Fayaz Jatoi, Secretary to the CM Raheem Shaikh, and other relevant officials.