Gul Plaza demolition yet to begin

KARACHI:

Demolition of Gul Plaza has yet to begin more than eight months after the deadly fire, despite the building being declared dangerous and unfit for use, leaving affected traders and families waiting for the reconstruction process to begin.

The Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) and its Technical Committee on Dangerous Buildings declared Gul Plaza unsafe and unfit for use in a report prepared on January 22, 2026. Orders for its demolition were subsequently issued, but a formal notification has yet to be released.

According to senior SBCA officials, a contractor for the demolition has not yet been finalised. An official said an advertisement for the demolition work would be issued within a few days, following which the contractor would be selected. Sources said four pre-qualified demolition companies were already registered with the SBCA for such work. However, they alleged that some SBCA officials were attempting to award the contract to a preferred private contractor, contributing to the delay.

The sources claimed that the issue of selecting the contractor had resulted in repeated meetings at the SBCA without a final decision. They further alleged that the former SBCA director general had awarded the demolition contract to a contractor, but the notification could not be issued because the matter was pending before the courts.

According to the sources, a court subsequently directed registration of an FIR, after which the relevant legal requirements were completed. However, the formal demolition notification for Gul Plaza has still not been issued.

The alleged delay has caused further distress for the victims, who are awaiting demolition before reconstruction can begin. The sources said the demolition and reconstruction process could take nearly two years.

The fire at Gul Plaza left a large number of traders and families affected and raised questions about building safety and regulatory oversight.