CM Sindh rejects politics on Gul Plaza tragedy

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, while addressing the Sindh Assembly on the Gul Plaza fire tragedy, announced an extensive relief, rehabilitation, and accountability package for victims and affected traders, firmly rejecting attempts to politicise the incident and linking it to the 18th Constitutional Amendment.

Opening his address, the chief minister offered prayers for the martyrs of the tragedy, patience for bereaved families, and speedy recovery for the injured. “This is a tragedy for which words are insufficient,” he said, adding that innocent lives were lost and a pall of grief had descended over the city.

Providing details to the House, Murad Ali Shah said 88 persons were initially reported missing, of whom one was mistakenly included, while five names were duplicated, leaving 82 confirmed missing individuals. So far, 61 bodies have been recovered, while 15 persons remain untraced.

Mr Shah informed lawmakers that DNA identification of 45 bodies has been completed, with 15 victims identified so far, and the remaining cases are in process.

The chief minister shared a minute-by-minute timeline of the incident, stating that the fire erupted at 10:14 pm on the ground floor on 17 January 2026 (Saturday), the first emergency call was received at 10:26 pm, and the first fire tender was dispatched at 10:27 pm. He added that a government representative – Commissioner Karachi and the police reached the site within 16 minutes of the blaze.

The chief minister also criticised unnecessary visits by certain VIPs during rescue operations, saying that despite being advised over the phone not to visit the site due to ongoing emergency work and heavy congestion, some individuals insisted on arriving merely for television coverage. He said such visits created additional difficulties for rescue teams and disrupted relief efforts.