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'Gul Plaza tragedy exposed lack of DNA testing facilities'

Minister stressed the need for establishing DNA laboratories in every province to ensure timely identification

Our Correspondent February 01, 2026 Less than a minute read

A family member of a Gul Plaza salesman wipes away tears while standing before the charred remains of the building, mourning the loss of a lifetime of work and memories in the devastating fire. Photo: APP

KARACHI:

Federal Minister for Health Syed Mustafa Kamal — who is also senior leader of MQM-Pakistan — has disclosed that DNA testing of human remains could not be carried out for five days following the Gul Plaza tragedy due to the unavailability of facilities, triggering the federal government to intervene.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of a digitalised federal dispensary in Karachi's FC Area on Saturday, the minister stressed the need for establishing DNA laboratories in every province to ensure timely identification in the aftermath of major accidents.

The dispensary is part of the federal government's healthcare digitalisation programme aimed at upgrading basic health units with modern medical and telemedicine services.

It is the third digitalised federal dispensary in Karachi and the sixth in the country established under the Sehat Kahani initiative, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health. Under the programme, old federal dispensaries are being transformed into modern healthcare centres equipped with digital consultation systems.

Sehat Kahani CEO Sara Syed said that dispensaries at Karachi Airport and Jacob Lines had already been modernised, where patients are receiving medical consultations along with free medicines.