KMC blames other bodies for Gul Plaza tragedy

The Judicial Commission on Gul Plaza Tragedy has been informed by the KMC that the civic body bears no administrative negligence in the devastation caused by the incident at Gul Plaza.

The municipal commissioner of KMC has submitted a written response to the commission's questionnaire. In the reply, the commissioner shifted responsibility for the incident to other institutions, stating that KMC's jurisdiction extends only to the main thoroughfare.

The response stated that the removal of encroachments from the streets surrounding Gul Plaza falls under the responsibility of the Town Municipal Corporation Saddar. It further maintained that conducting fire audits is the responsibility of the Civil Defence Directorate, while safety audits under the Emergency Rescue Service Act 2023 fall under the mandate of Rescue 1122.

The reply added that under the Sindh Local Government Act 2013, firefighting had previously been the responsibility of KMC. However, under the 2023 law, firefighting and rescue responsibilities have been transferred to Rescue 1122. Approval to begin the transfer process was granted during a council meeting held on December 11, 2025. KMC also stated that it had voluntarily conducted fire safety audits of 200 buildings and submitted the report to the commissioner in 2024. However, it claimed that the district administration did not take any significant action following the report.

The commissioner further explained that heavy traffic on MA Jinnah Road at the time of the incident was due to the ongoing Green Line construction project.