Sindh Minister for Labour, Human Resources and Social Security Saeed Ghani on Sunday described the fire at Gul Plaza on M.A. Jinnah Road as “extremely regrettable” and assured that the provincial government would provide financial compensation to the affected families. He stressed, however, that the immediate priority remained controlling the blaze, rescuing those possibly trapped inside the building, and completing the ongoing search operation.
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The minister visited the fire-hit plaza and reviewed rescue and firefighting efforts, receiving detailed briefings from officers overseeing the operation. Speaking to the media, he said the incident had so far claimed six lives, including a rescue worker, while dozens of people had been injured. He added that reports indicated more individuals might still be trapped inside the building, making their safe evacuation the government’s top concern.
Authorities have classified the blaze as a third-degree fire. Firefighting efforts are being jointly carried out by the Sindh government, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), Rescue 1122 and the Pakistan Navy, with 22 fire tenders and four KMC snorkels deployed at the site.
Minister Ghani said that before determining the cause of the fire or assessing the extent of the damage, all resources were focused on saving lives. He reiterated that compensation would be provided to victims’ families once the emergency phase concluded.
He also confirmed that five families had so far reported missing relatives, adding that rescue teams were making every possible effort to trace them.
Commenting on building safety regulations, the minister acknowledged that Karachi had thousands of structures and that enforcement could not rely on force alone. He said public awareness and cooperation were essential, but added that the government would learn from the tragedy and fulfil its responsibilities.
Ghani further stated that once the rescue operation ends, a second phase of investigation will be launched to determine the cause of the fire and identify those responsible.
Following his visit, the minister, along with Deputy Mayor Salman Murad, attended the funeral prayers of young businessman Kashif Rahmatullah, who died in the blaze. They offered condolences to his family, including his father Rahmatullah and father-in-law Yaqub Memon, and later visited the family of another victim, businessman Faraz, to express sympathy and pray for the deceased.
