Four eyewitnesses testify before magistrate in Gul Plaza blaze case

A key development emerged on Monday in the Gul Plaza deadly inferno case as four eyewitnesses recorded their statements before the Judicial Magistrate (South), Asim Aslam, describing the cause that led to the fire which claimed 80 lives on January 17. During the hearing, three salesmen and a 13-year-old student testified before the magistrate. The eyewitnesses were identified as Aryan, Talha, Waheed and Hamza. In his statement, 13-year-old Aryan told the court that he had gone to meet his friend Huzayfa at his father’s shop on the evening of the incident. He said Huzayfa was alone at the shop and was playing with matchsticks, adding that he had two matchboxes with him. Aryan stated that he remained at the shop until around 8:30pm before leaving to play at his father’s shop, where his friend Samad also died in the fire. He further testified that when he returned around 10pm to say goodbye, Huzayfa was still playing with matchsticks, which ignited the fire. He said neighbouring shopkeepers had warned Huzayfa against such a dangerous act. Also Read: Karachi at risk: Gul Plaza fire exposes dangers of unchecked urban growth Another eyewitness, Talha, told the court that he was at his shop when a fire suddenly broke out at a flower shop. He said he, along with other shopkeepers, initially tried to extinguish the flames but they ran out of the mall as the fire intensified. Waheed stated that he heard children arguing before someone shouted that a fire had erupted. He said, they tried to remove burning flowers from the shop, but could not do so as they were tied together. Thick smoke soon filled the area, prompting him to retreat and eventually exit the market as the blaze worsened. Hamza testified that he was doing accounting work when fire erupted in Shop No 193. He said the flames were so intense that water failed to extinguish them, forcing them to run outside the plaza. After recording the statements, Judicial Magistrate Asim Aslam made them part of the official case record and adjourned further proceedings. Judicial inquiry on hold Five days after the announcement of a judicial commission to probe Gul Plaza tragedy, the inquiry has yet to begin due to the non-issuance of the official notification. Sources said the registrar of the Sindh High Court has sent a letter to the interior secretary, but the notification establishing the judicial commission has not yet been received by the high court. Under Section 3 of the Sindh Tribunals of Inquiry Ordinance 1969, the issuance of the gazette notification is mandatory. Without this formal notification, the judicial commission cannot become operational. After the incident, police registered a criminal case over the deadly fire at Karachi’s Gul Plaza, citing negligence and a lack of safety measures. Read More: Investigation reveals how Gul Plaza fire became a death trap Police said an FIR was registered under Sections 322, 337-H(I), 436 and 427 of the Pakistan Penal Code. The case was filed with the government as the complainant and named unknown persons, as the investigation report had not yet been completed. The FIR said severe negligence and carelessness were shown at Gul Plaza, where no safety measures were in place. It said the lights were switched off during the fire, creating difficulties for people inside the building, while several gates were found closed, worsening the situation. As of then, no individual had been held responsible in the case. Sindh cabinet approved an extensive relief package for the victims. Each family of the deceased will be compensated with Rs10 million. Affected shopkeepers will be provided with interest-free loans of Rs10 million per shop. A further Rs500,000 will be given to each shopkeeper as immediate support for household and utility expenses. CM Sindh Murad Ali Shah also approved a Rs21.53 billion package for the rehabilitation and improvement of Karachi’s infrastructure, including Rs13 billion for Town Municipal Corporations and Rs8.53 billion for Karachi Metropolitan Corporation projects covering roads, water, sewerage, drains, and streetlights.

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