KARACHI: Gul Plaza management bears primary responsibility for the deadly fire that killed more than 70 people in January, according to a police charge sheet submitted to a Karachi court. The three-storey shopping centre, which housed nearly 1,200 businesses, caught fire on January 17. The incident raised serious concerns over fire safety and emergency preparedness in Karachi. The charge sheet, submitted on Saturday, says investigators found no negligence by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), the fire brigade or Civil Defence. Police have named 87 witnesses and detailed what they described as major shortcomings in the shopping centre’s fire-safety arrangements. The investigation alleges negligence by the Gul Plaza administration and inadequate safety measures inside the building and individual shops. New Administrative Units: Mohsin Naqvi says public opinion must decide Investigators have also included CCTV footage and other evidence collected during the probe in the charge sheet. A forensic examination found no explosive material in the items examined and detected no traces of flammable liquid. However, investigators found particles associated with burning in some of the material. The police findings follow a judicial commission’s report that also held the shopping centre’s management responsible for failing to address known fire-safety deficiencies. A report issued by the Sindh Home Department last month said Gul Plaza’s de facto management knew about safety deficiencies but failed to take corrective action. The commission identified shortcomings in all three major areas of fire safety: prevention, detection and firefighting. It concluded that the building lacked an integrated fire-safety system. Civil Defence inspection reports from 2024 and 2025 had repeatedly identified the absence of essential firefighting equipment, including hydrants, hose reels and fire pumps. The reports also found that the building’s alarm system was unreliable or non-functional. The commission further identified a lack of trained personnel, fire drills and rescue equipment, saying the shopping centre operated without the minimum capacity required to respond effectively to a fire. The police charge sheet will now form part of the court proceedings as authorities continue to determine responsibility for one of Karachi’s deadliest recent commercial building fires. Post navigation Bilawal Bhutto: Murtaza Wahab rejects reports of PPP chairman’s wedding Karachi Defence Assault: Police register FIR after woman’s complaint
